United We Stand
by MajorStupoid
Summary: AU Percy Jackson: adapting HOO/ Jason lacks pride. Percy lacks direction. Piper lacks trust. Leo lacks a dream. Annabeth lacks restraint. Bianca lacks perspective. Winona lacks companionship. Reyna lacks courage. Tempus lacks time. Against the seven giants who stand against them, these flaws hold them back now more than ever.
1. Who Am I

**NOTE:**

 **This is not a single story; this is a mega-book adapting each of the five novels in the Heroes of Olympus series in turn. This is also in line with the similar treatment I gave Percy Jackson and the Olympians, with my mega-book "The Cruel Spider", also on this site. I am a writer, and so I am treating this as a book I would write. That said, forget everything you knew about the PJO world; I'm changing basically everything, because HoO sux major ass baskets. I also changed basically everything narratively The Cruel Spider as well.**

 ******YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE READ THE CRUEL SPIDER TO ENJOY THIS******

 **I've provided enough exposition and background to get a firm grasp of what everyone is about, though I purposefully left out neat details so as not to rob the enjoyment of The Cruel Spider, should you enjoy this and want to go back and read that.**

 **Without further ado, though, onto the story:**

The blond kid jolted up as if he just woke from a deep slumber. It was an odd sensation, because he could be sure that he wasn't asleep, nor did he feel the initial grogginess like he just awoke.

His head was foggy, however, with a million questions running through his head at once. The most prominent question remained at the front and it was one he couldn't answer on his own. " _Who am I?"_

It was only after a few seconds did he become aware of his surroundings. He was on a moving school bus, though how he knew what a 'school bus' was he didn't know. It was sitting in the aisle seat, sitting next to a girl, who was looking out the window with her earbuds in. He was about to ask her for help, when he realized he was holding her hand.

He shifted in his seat, trying to figure out if he remembered anybody here, and the movement caught the girl's attention. She took her earbuds out and smiled. She did a hand motion, slapping the back of her fingers in her other palm, then moving that other palm to the opposite forearm and then pulling the other hand up. The boy couldn't tell what it was, so he ignored it.

"Um…" he didn't know where to start. The girl looked at him expectantly, and when he didn't do anything, she frowned. She could tell something was wrong, the kid knew that much. Though he couldn't read her through her eyes, only her expression. Her eyes were this odd rainbow-thing, like she was shining a star's light through different colored glass, resulting in a kind of kaleidoscope effect when he looked directly at them. Truthfully, it was mesmerizing; he could stare into them all day. " _Focus,"_ he told himself.

The blond was about to try asking who she was, and who he was, for that matter, when he was interrupted. "Oh, finally awake?" another kid, looking to bearound the girl's age, hung over from the seat behind theirs. He wore a pair of worker's pants and a simple white, long-sleeved shirt and a black vest, but not like the formal kind. This one was more bushy and thick. He only wished the undershirt was a darker color; all of the dirt and grime from what must've been the past month appeared on it. "I tell ya, Jason, I don't know how you can sleep with such shitty roads."

"J…Jason?" the blond wondered quietly. "Is _that_ my name?" he asked.

"I know, lame, right?" the small-statured, impish kid sat back in his seat, grinning. "But hey, not everyone has such a badass name as Leo Valdez!"

Jason didn't respond, just kept looking around. Most of the kids on the bus looked their age, and most couldn't really bring themselves to look anywhere but the window. None of them were conversing. In front was an older guy in a suit whose hairline looked to have receded a long time ago. His eyes were droopy like he was tired, but Jason suspected that he just looked that way all of the time.

The girl beside him tapped his arm. He turned to her, thinking she would introduce herself. Instead, she did some more hand motions. "Is that…is that supposed to tell me something?" Jason wondered. The girl cocked her head to the side, confused and worried based on the furrow in her brow. "D…do you understand me?" he asked, wondering if she even spoke or understood speech.

"You wouldn't think she does," Leo teased her. "She hardly listens to anything anyone tells her," he chuckled to himself, only for the girl to stand up, reach back, and thwack him upside the head. "Ow!" Leo yelped, even though it didn't look like that hard a hit, more of a playful love tap. "What the hell, Piper! It was only a joke!"

"Quiet down in the back, please," the droopy-eyed guy up front said, though they just barely heard it over the bus' engine.

Leo went back to whatever he was doing, not wanting another slap. Jason returned his attention to the girl. "P-Piper, was it?" Jason said hesitantly. He felt bad, as this girl seemed to know him, while he didn't have the faintest idea who she was. He considered lying to her, acting normal, but that wouldn't have been fair to her. "Where are we? Where are we going?"

She didn't even get a chance to answer, Leo did it for her. "Oh, we're in the 'glorious' Wilderness School, where troubled kids get to go when they became too much of a pain for the people that are supposed to help them," he said, waving his arms in the air for emphasis on his words. "In other words," he dropped his hands into a shrug. "We're at rock bottom."

"But…why? Why are we here? What did we do? Isn't there somewhere else we can go?"

Leo didn't answer this one, leaving it to Piper, with her hand motions. He tapped the front part of her right shoulder, then the front part of her left. She made the "ok" symbol with both hands, and interlocked her thumbs and index fingers. Finally, she put both palms facing up, and made small circular patterns in the air. She did these motions with a saddened look, her eyes down, her expression melancholic.

"I…I don't…w-what is this? I don't understand, I'm sorry," Jason said, trying his best to sound genuine, which he was, but the sentence seemed a bit dickish.

The girl scrunched her eyes a bit, indicating frustration, before reaching down and digging into the backpack between them. It was the first time Jason noticed it, and alongside it was a skateboard. Was he a skater? How did he know what a skateboard was?

As Piper searched for whatever it was she was looking for, Jason found himself digging in his own pockets, quickly wrapping his hand around a small object inside. When he removed his hand and looked, he saw that it was a small coin, made entirely of gold. On one side was the face of a man who looked really ancient, with the word 'IVLIVS' etched into the bottom, and on the other side was a picture of a sword and battle-axe crossed together in combat.

When Piper finally found what she was looking for, a small notepad and a pencil, Jason had started flipping the coin up and down, again out of habit. How did he acquire this habit?

Piper started writing. 'I said we belong here. It was sign language; I taught you how to use it, remember?' she wrote.

"I…I'm sorry, but…no, I don't," Jason replied, waiting for her to write more.

'Amnesia?' was all she wrote. It was a logical explanation.

"I-I guess, but I don't…" he trailed off. Piper tapped the pencil against her chin for a second. "W-wait, why won't you say anything to me? Is it like-"

"I'll tell ya why," Leo popped back up again, shoving some ear plugs in in his ears, and tickling Piper in her sides. Piper laughed out loud for a few seconds, but then slapped her hand across her mouth, silencing herself. It was too late, though; the entire bus, including Jason, laughed out loud right after her.

Odd…Jason didn't find anything funny. He looked around, seeing that no one had shifted at all to look at them. Piper's face went beat red, her teeth gritted, while Leo fell back into his chair, cackling like a lunatic. "Oho! Oh, oh…that never gets old," he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Hey man, cut it out," Jason warned, though he wasn't thinking. "You're clearly bothering her, so just stop."

"Eh?" Leo wondered. "What are you talking about? I'm just playing around."

Piper didn't say anything for or against it, just wrote on her piece of paper. 'I think Jason is sick,' she showed it to Leo. He waited for her to write more. 'He should already know that this is just how we are; he even already talked to you about it before.'

Leo shrugged after he read it. "Well, he _was_ always stubborn. Maybe he's like a dog and just relapsing in behavior?"

Piper looked unamused. 'Leo, I'm serious. I think Jason is really sick.'

"I don't know…" Leo looked Jason up and down. "Hey, Grover, what do you think?" Leo tapped the boy next to him. He looked slightly older than Piper and Leo, if only by a year, if that.

Grover turned to the trio, and froze when he saw Jason. It was only for the briefest of moments, but Grover seemed to come to an understanding with the amnesiac. He took his headphones out. "What's up, Lee?" the older boy wondered.

"What do you think of Jason here? He says he 'can't remember anything'," Leo used air quotes. Grover considered for a second.

"…Did he hit his head?" Grover wondered.

"…You're serious?" Jason wondered, thinking it would be really lame if that was the case and that was it.

"I'm serious, man," he returned.

"Well…not that I can…remember," Jason quickly realized how stupid that sentence sounded. Just then, though, the bus stopped. Jason hadn't even realized, but they'd arrived at their destination; the Grand Canyon and a glass overhang to observe it.

The droopy-eyed guy stood first, adjusting his suit and holding up a clipboard. "Please stand when I call your name and regroup with your partner to await further instructions," he said.

"Jeez, I always feel like having a nap when he talks," Leo said as the names began to be read off.

Quite a few names were called out. "Jason Grace," the man said it without hesitation. Jason stood, grabbing the skateboard. Piper offered him the bag too, which he took. The amnesiac found that he was just barely too tall to stand straight up in the bus. Jason exited, but stuck close to the door to wait for the three people he actually knew the names of. The wait was agonizingly long, as the guy read the names so slowly and he waited for about ten years after the kid got off to read the next name. "Piper McLean," the guy said a bit later. The girl exited, immediately shivering.

"H-here," Jason said instinctively, reaching for something to give her, even though she already had a thick white jacket. Still, he persisted. He reached around his neck, realizing that he'd been wearing a scarf; a bright pink scarf, unapologetically. He stared it blankly for a moment, feeling as if it had some importance, before he handed it to her.

Piper raised an eyebrow, probably thinking he'd be cold without it, but he was perfectly fine. In fact, while everyone else seemed to feel the biting cold of the winter wind, Jason felt nothing; it was like a nice spring day. Anyway, whether she was confused or not, Piper accepted the scarf and put it on, wrapping it around her exposed neck. When she was at a resting position, even her chin and lips were obscured by it.

This was the first time Jason took the time to really look at her. Her skin was just a few shades darker than his, perhaps implying mixed heritage in some form, though it wasn't like crazy dark like an African-American's either. Her face was free of make-up, though it didn't do anything to stifle her looks; she was pretty without it. Her hair seemed to be both completely unkempt and very well-cared for. It was braided in several areas, including some prominent ones which tucked around her head on either side. It was tied into a very messy knot bun, tied where a ponytail would be banded, with a lot of it beginning to fall out. It was…cute. Jason found himself blushing when looking at her, and it immediately felt wrong to think about anything resembling that when he didn't even know her, so he turned away, embarrassed.

"Grover Underwood," the guy, who was probably a teacher, said a while later. The kid came out, wearing baggy pants and walking with crutches, like he had something wrong with his legs. Jason felt bad for the guy; he figured if he was sent here, then his folks must've not wanted to deal with him because of his disability or something like that.

"Leo Valdez," the guy continued.

"Aw yeah!" Leo jumped up and bounded off the bus at Mach six, quickly joining the group. It was surprising how fast he moved with his spindly legs. "You ready, Jason? We're gonna 'ace' the assignment, aren't we?" he used air quotes again.

"Assignment?" Jason inquired. Piper hooked her arm into his possessively, making him blush.

"What? But he was my partner!" Leo argued. Grover chuckled.

"Yo, I think she changed her mind," the crippled boy said. "Don't worry, man, I'll be your partner."

"Thanks, Grove," Leo said, shrugging. Eventually, the rest of the kids and the teacher got off.

" _Odd…"_ Jason thought. " _I thought he might think something was weird,"_ he thought of Grover. " _But now…maybe I was imagining things?"_

The teacher allowed the kids time to use the restroom. While Jason didn't have to relieve himself, he wanted to look at himself in the mirror. Maybe there was something on his person that might clue him into his origins.

The first thing that struck Jason was how built he was. He was broad-shouldered, which was where most of that image came from. While his arms weren't like…buff, like the Rock's, they were definitely muscled and lean. It also looked like he had been in more than a few fights, with scars lining his arms.

" _Is that why I was sent here? Because I'm too violent?"_ Jason wondered, and shivered at the thought of even coming close to a fist-fight. His hair was cut short-ish. Not like a buzz cut, but close. It was blonde as well. Jason noticed a small scar on his lip. For some reason, it filled him with warmth, as if reminding him of feelings from another time. " _I wish I could remember…"_

Another stand-out about him was his arm; there was a tattoo on it. It was a small etching of an eagle, closest to his hand, right at the wrist. Below that was four letters, SPQR, followed by a series of twelve parallel lines. "Hm?" Leo looked over. "When did you get the time to get that?"

"I don't…"

"Right, sorry, Mr. Amnesiac," Leo teased. "So what does it mean, anyway?"

"Senatus Populusque Romanus," Jason said instantly. He reached his hand up to his mouth, confused as to how he knew that. "It means…" he held his head, feeling something trying to resurface. "It means…I…" he found himself light-headed, leaning on the wall to keep from doubling over. He dropped to one knee.

"Whoa! Jason, you okay?" Leo, for once, looked genuinely concerned, kneeling down with him. He offered his hand, though with his physique, Jason didn't think he could help get him back up at all.

"Y-yeah, I'm…fine," Jason returned, feeling the light-headedness fade.

A moment later, they were all standing on the overhang, which was glass at the bottom. Reinforced glass, they were assured. Piper met Jason and smiled. She had something written already. 'I'll do the worksheet; I know you're not feeling well.'

Jason smiled back. "Thank you, Piper."

From then on, Jason just walked around with her, as she filled out the worksheet they'd apparently been given a few days prior. Most everyone completed the worksheet long before their allotted time on the catwalk was over, so they all just hung out, with the teacher watching everyone lazily. " _Odd…_ " Jason thought. " _…Are his clothes caught in the wind or something?"_ he wondered, seeing them flow slightly, even when he wasn't moving and there wasn't any wind to catch it.

Jason shook his head; he was growing paranoid. Piper had gone over and started playing pranks on the others, along with Leo. Jason didn't want to be a part of that, so he just leaned on the railing, looking down into the canyon below. He almost expected to feel nauseous, but he didn't. " _What I wouldn't give to just dive down and soar through there…"_ he found himself thinking as he sighed. It wasn't until a few seconds later did he realize how strange that desire was. He would die, wouldn't he?

"Hey," Grover approached, breaking up Jason's thoughts. "It's…Jason, right?"

"Wait, you're asking?" the blond wondered. "Does that mean you don't know me?"

"Never seen you before in my life, man," Grover admitted. "But hey, doesn't mean we can't meet now. Name's Grover," he offered his hand.

"Jason, I guess," Jason shook the man's hand.

"I guess you must be the Saving Grace, huh?" Grover wondered. "Well, don't worry. The extraction team should be here soon to-"

"Whoa, hold up," Jason interrupted. "Saving Grace? Is that a codename? And what extraction team?"

Grover blinked. "…You weren't faking your amnesia?"

"No, I actually don't remember anything."

Grover grimaced. "Well…that could complicate things just a bit. Tell you what; you've just got to go along with everything. I can tell you're a half-blood, so it should be safe to bring you to camp."

"What camp? What do you mean 'half-blood'?" Jason continued asking questions.

"Jason, relax. Everything will…uh-oh," Grover looked above them. Out of nowhere, massive stormclouds formed above them, only to disperse a moment later. "That can't be good. Damn…where's the extraction…?"

"Grover? Hey, Grover," Jason got his attention. "You wanna fill me in? What's going-"

The skywalk shook violently, causing most everyone to fall. Grover, surprisingly, caught himself. "Everyone grab a rail!" the older boy yelled. A few seconds later, the glass below them shattered.

Thankfully, most everyone had grabbed onto a railing in time, except for Leo, of course. He was too busy trying to pants a guy.

Leo fell through the glass when it broke, screaming bloody murder as he did. "Leo!" Jason called, reaching toward him. Obviously, though, he couldn't reach the impish boy.

Just then, however, a sort of…wind spirit thing, caught Leo and guided him toward an outcropping in the cliff face before flying up to the group, causing an intense wind to pick up, drowning out anything but yells, which there were plenty of. "Jason!" Grover said, climbing onto the railing and displaying an incredible balance. He'd kicked off his shoes, revealing…hooves? With what has happened in the past thirty seconds, Jason wasn't even shocked. "Get to Piper! Don't let the Anemoi Thuellai get to her!"

"What did you call it?!" Jason questioned, though Grover ignored him. He stepped into the air, and a small circle of grass and leaves appeared beneath his hooves. Grover had dropped one of his crutches, and looked to be using the other one as a weapon.

The wind spirit seemed to have a vaguely humanoid shape, though its face was a mystery. It dove for Piper, but Grover intercepted it, bashing it away with his crutch. The wind monster made another dash, thinking that the attack had been a fluke, when Grover did a spin kick with his hoof. "A watcher?!" it snarled, just realizing that Grover had goat legs.

"Aw yeah!" Grover challenged. "Come on and feel my goat-fu, ya big fart beast!"

" _What am I watching?"_ Jason thought, dumbfounded at the ridiculousness of it. Then he shook his head, remembering that he wasn't supposed to be watching. He climbed his way over to Piper, who looked too shocked to even breathe.

"Hey, hey," he eased her into his arms for more support. His voice was level, surprisingly. He'd expected to be as terrified as she was, but it felt as though…as though he'd been in this kind of situation before. "It's gonna be alright. Grover has this handled."

But he didn't. Grover handled himself well, but he was fighting a half-intangible wind spirit. He tumbled with the thing in the air, grappling with his goat legs, but was ultimately thrown off right where Leo was. Grover stood, though couldn't move back up to where Jason and Piper were. Instead, he focused on Leo. "Hey man, you cool?" Leo nodded, too stunned to speak. "Alright, alright…okay we've gotta find a way up there, aight?"

The wind spirit met Jason again. "Get off," he ordered Piper, all but shoving her away; he knew this thing was after her, and he couldn't protect her when she was hanging on him.

Jason felt a strange energy well up within him, and he vaulted onto the railing. The spirit looked confused that this weirdo would challenge him so foolishly. "…Do you know what I am, mortal?"

"Shut it, ventus!" Jason found himself yelling, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his coin. The creature charged. Jason swiped the hit away, pushing the thing back without actually touching it. It was like…he controlled the air around him to repel the attack.

He wasn't thinking about his actions or words; they just flowed naturally from within him. This was what he did; he knew it.

The ventus, the wind spirit, charged the blond, but Jason flipped up his coin. The motion startled the spirit, with it almost being repelled by the gold trinket.

Jason caught it in his palm, and then smashed it into his other, sweeping his hands apart. As he did, the coin changed shape into a blade, with Jason gripping its hilt in his right hand. He only just realized what he did, and stared at the golden blade.

The ventus looked equally as confused. Jason turned back to the creature and then readied himself, holding the blade in both of his hands. The storm spirit charged again, but Jason could see its attacks coming, parrying its blows with strong swings. The blade never made contact with it, the air around it repelled the attacks like Jason did himself earlier.

Soon, though, the monster broke through, taking advantage of Jason's precarious footing, and knocked him off balance. Jason fell, just barely catching himself by grabbing onto the railing. He slammed against it hard, but he hardly felt it.

The wind spirit was on him quick, which Jason being forced to parry a good few more attacks, with some even making contact, feeling like a sharp sting. Jason flipped back up, surprised at his own athleticism, and combatted the ventus again, only focusing on keeping it away from Piper, who could only hang on for dear life.

"Gah! I was never told they would send a trained bodyguard!" it complained. "Fine! Maybe I'll give him a little incentive!"

The spirit started to make a break for the others that were there. "What?" Jason couldn't believe what he was seeing. "No!" the spirit didn't listen, drawing close to its first victim. "Get away from them!"

Jason wasn't thinking, and he must've had the devil's own luck to have this stunt not get anyone seriously injured. He threw his blade up into the air, flipping it. Then he smashed his hands together, feeling a tug in his gut as he did. The clap was a thunderclap, sending a sonic boom arcing out from the impact point in a sphere, the pressure of the air bursting violently. He then caught what was once the sword, now turned back into a coin because of the flip.

The ventus was sent careening down into the canyon, and most everyone had hung on. "Jason!" he heard behind him, the voice unfamiliar. The blond turned, seeing that his sonic boom had damaged the railing closest to him; the one that Piper was hanging onto. She'd called out to him just as she slipped off and started falling. "Catch me!" she pleaded.

" _Oh, I'm probably gonna die,"_ was Jason's only caught as he leapt down after her. She was significantly farther down; he needed to find some way to pick up speed. The canyon walls raced by as Jason tried to think. " _The skateboard? Birds? A Falcon?_ " were his desperate thoughts. He thought about how you picked up speed going down a hill. He tucked his body in, lowering his center of gravity. He tucked his arms into his body and backward like a falcon diving through the sky. He actually found himself going faster. He willed the winds to help him…and they obeyed, blasting him farther down. His arms were behind him, his feet facing straight, one right behind the other.

Leo looked on. It could've been his shock or some kind of hallucination, but it almost looked like Jason was flying, diving, down to Piper. "I see wings…" he muttered, in awe. He put a hand to his chest, feeling it heat up in excitement. "I want them too…"

Piper was only a few meters from the river below when Jason swooped under her and caught her. It took him a few seconds to regain his balance, like he'd just landed from a jump while skating or snowboarding.

Piper's eyes were closed. " _That's probably for the best,"_ Jason thought, taking a glance at his feet. He seemed to form visible air currents, which he was skating on using whatever weird powers he had control over for some reason.

"Piper…" Jason said her name softly. "It's alright, we're safe, I think."

She slowly opened her eyes, seeing that Jason had caught her and was carrying her bridal-style. She didn't even care either, considering that it was either this or being a red stain on the canyon floor. She only shifted to hang onto his neck as he air surfed upwards, towards where Grover and Leo were situated. They never made it, however, as the extraction team came just then.

xxxXXXxxx

Winona's flying chariot broke the cloud barrier to see the extraction point in shambles. Winona could see at least one of the targets along with Grover, perched on an outcropping. The other, she couldn't see, but she could see the Anemoi Thuellai that was attacking them.

The girl took a deep breath and summoned her bow, pulling a sunlight arrow from a quiver that didn't exist, and knocking it. Once it was pulled back, Winona twitched and flexed her fingers, and suddenly there were a dozen arrows notched between them. Another breath, and then Winona fired them off.

xxxXXXxxx

Golden streaks of light rained down from the sky all of a sudden. Unfortunately for Jason, the ventus was between where they were fired and him, meaning that the streaks that missed the ventus, which was all but one, Jason had to avoid frantically, swerving and ducking between the attacks. Through it all, Piper didn't make a sound, just clutched onto Jason's neck and sealed her eyes shut in terror. He couldn't blame her.

"And now there are more of them?!" the ventus roared. "Fine! I'll retreat for now; we will have our revenge soon enough."

And then it darted away, disappearing on the horizon.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey! I'm early...sort of. So I've been debating with myself for a while over whether or not to start uploading, and as I'm writing this note, I'm still debating, but I'm leaning towards yes. If you're reading this, then the answer was such.**

 **A note about uploading. I'm uploading daily until I get to The Son of Neptune. Then I will stop uploading until that one is finished, and then I'll upload that one daily. And so on until I'm done. No ifs ands or buts about it; I putting down the hammer on this. Given how the Lost Hero adaptation is 90,000 words long, you can imagine that it's going to take a while for each adaptation. I have a daily word count goal that I've been keeping to, and I've been successful thus far. Hopefully I can keep that up.**

 **Anyhoo, onto the usual. Thank you all so much for reading, don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you thought. Expect this fic to be slower-paced than The Cruel Spider. That's just because I have a larger central cast and I want them all to have a lot of development. We'll see how it goes.**

 **See you tomorrow!**


	2. Their Saving Grace

Within the next hour, the four were led onto a golden chariot, pulled by winged horses. They were led by a sixteen-year-old girl, which was younger than the rest of them. She was blonde, she was pretty, and Leo was drooling all over her the moment he laid eyes on her. She knew what he was going to say, so she held her hand up after they took off.

"Before you say anything," she said to Leo, who was ready to pathetically 'flirt' with her. "Know that I'm taken."

Leo looked devastated, but then looked reinvigorated when he remembered they were flying through the sky on a chariot pulled by Pegasi. "Dude! This is so awesome!" he exclaimed, while Piper looked less than thrilled about being this high up so soon after her little fall. "Where are we going? What's your name? What was with that big scary stormy thing?"

The girl looked to Grover for affirmation, who nodded. "They're safe with you until we get to camp," he assured.

The girl sighed, preparing for a long explanation. "My name is Winona Solace," she introduced herself simply. "I am a half-blood, as in half human and half god."

"What kind of god?" Jason wondered.

"Greek," Winona stated. "Though, I may not be the best example of a half-blood anymore."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It doesn't matter to you," Winona claimed, directly addressing Leo and Piper next. "Anyway, the reason you two were chosen is because you two are also half god."

"Which god?" Leo wondered. "And…we're not related; we just met less than a year ago!"

Grover shrugged. "Try not to think of godly relation as the same as human relation. Technically all demigods are related by blood, but we choose to ignore it, you feel me?"

"And it doesn't cause major in-breeding?" Leo wondered.

"Nah man," Grover waved off the concern. "Anyway, you'll both be claimed soon after you arrive at camp, but for now, we don't know who your godly parent is. I can make a guess, though."

"My guess is Apollo for the shrimp and…either Aphrodite or Demeter for the mute," Win said off-handedly.

"Why?" Grover inquired as to her reasoning.

"She's got native heritage, good with agriculture and nature, so I thought Demeter might like that in a father. Aphrodite because, well, look at her," Winona said it without pause, making Piper blush furiously, especially when the three guys stared right at her. She buried her face in the scarf she'd been given, making her remember that she had to give it back, though she ultimately decided to wait until they landed. "And the shorty is a wannabe Hugh Hefner, just like dad was."

Leo raised his eyebrows. "Oh, so you're the kid of Apola?" Leo wondered.

"Apollo," she corrected. "And yes, I am. Or…I was. Now, I kind of _am_ Apollo, but that's a story for another time."

"Hey," Jason spoke up. "Leo's got more to him than being a reckless womanizer. You should wait until you know him better to make those kinds of assumptions."

Winona acknowledged Jason for the first time directly. "…I don't like you," she said bluntly. "Something about you puts me off, but I can't quite figure it out."

"Maybe it's his charming personality?" Leo teased.

Winona ignored the comment, and looked below them. "We're here," she said, lowering the chariot. Suddenly, everything got much warmer, like a mild summer day; perfect for outdoor activity. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

They soared over a massive forest, a large field, a big hill with an incredibly huge oak tree standing tall. To one side was a big lake and…

"Wait, is that the Long Island Sound?" Leo questioned. Grover chuckled.

"Pretty amazing, huh? Win's chariot can get anywhere in the country in just a few minutes."

They circled the camp and lowered until they landed at the beach. Jason saw a fair number of kids, ranging from twelve to maybe sixteen or seventeen, like Winona was. There were very few who were older than that.

Several people met them as they stepped off, and very quickly, Jason noticed them emblazoned with a red-orange glow. He turned to the source of the glow; Leo. The color put Jason in a bad mood, and he had absolutely no idea why.

In any case, Leo was glowing, and above his head was a holographic image of a hammer, the same color as his glow. "What?" he wondered why everyone was staring.

"Hm," Winona grunted. "Hephaestus it is," she muttered.

"Who?"

"God of Forges," she paraphrased.

"Hmph," a girl in a wheelchair grunted as well. "Jeez, we've got a sorry lot this time."

Leo shrugged, gesturing to himself. "Hey, if you don't want any of this, that's your problem," he boasted, though he had no reason to. The others ignored him. "What? No comment?"

"We've dealt with kids like you before," Clarisse claimed.

"You were one of them," Winona mentioned, making Clarisse flinch in embarrassment. "Only a lot buffer than twiggy over there."

"Ouch, that's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Leo wondered, looking genuinely hurt by the comment, though Jason suspected he only acted that way to get a reaction from people, maybe some pity.

Winona wasn't playing that game. "I'll give one of you a tour. Who's ready?" None of them particularly wanted to go with Ms. Bad Attitude, and thus no one volunteered. "Tch, alright. I'll be waiting at the Big House. Don't wander; you might get shot in the back by a stray arrow or trampled by landing Pegasus Riders."

Then she walked away, with the others dispersing quickly as well. Clarisse followed Winona. "Jeez…girl doesn't smile much, does she?" Leo thought aloud. They heard a giggle.

"Sorry about her," the new face said sweetly. "She's had a rough few years is all."

The new girl was slightly taller than Winona, making her stand at around Piper's height. She wore a blue sweat jacket and black jeans, even in this weather. Covering her eyes was a blindfold, but it didn't look to be made of fabric. Strapped to her belt was a blade in its sheathe; just looking at it sent shivers through the three newbies' spines. Her skin was extremely pale as well, even with the sun.

"My name's Bianca," she held her hand out to them. "Bianca di Angelo."

"Leo 'the bodacious' Valdez," he grinned, and Piper slapped the back of his head, wiping it off before it became a problem. "Ow..."

"Jason Grace," the blond said. "This is Piper McLean."

"Nice to meet you all!" she said, grabbing Piper's hand. "I'm gonna take her off your hands and give her a tour. Win should be waiting for you."

"W-wait, but-"

They were already gone.

xxxXXXxxx

How did Jason end up with Ms. Bad Attitude? Well, because he would've felt bad for Leo if he was stuck with her. "Here's the dining pavilion; we eat here twice a day, once in the morning, once at night," she said almost robotically; she'd obviously given this tour one too many times already. "Over here are the cabins," she said, gesturing to a large square of ornate buildings. "So far, twenty have been built; thirteen for the major Olympian gods, and seven for some of the minor ones whose children we know."

"Is that one Jupiter's?" Jason asked without thinking, pointing at a prominent one that looked like it was made entirely of marble. Winona raised her eyebrow.

"You mean Zeus?" she questioned.

"No, I mean…" he trailed off, holding his head. Again, something was trying to come back. "I think…agh!" a piercing headache suddenly appeared, making the world spin. Jason couldn't even tell if he'd fallen, he was so dizzy.

He heard a voice: "Unite us,"it told him, repeating the phrase over and over again. "At all costs, you must unite us."

Slowly, Jason's head cleared, and the voice receded. He found that Winona had caught him and had led him to Zeus' cabin to lean on. "Hey, are you okay?" Winona questioned.

"Y-yeah, I'm-"

"Let me see," she ordered, forcing his head to look at her. She lit her finger up, like a flashlight. When she deactivated her instant light, she felt this forehead to check fever and looked him up and down. "Hm…you seem alright…what was that?" she stepped back.

"Not sure," Jason admitted. "But…whenever I turn my brain off, things just…come out. Things I shouldn't know, you know?"

"No, I don't," Winona said back. "But…there may be someone who does know. Follow me," she began walking away. Jason followed her.

"Who?" Jason wondered.

"You could call him our leader," Winona said. "I'm leaving out a few details, but last year we Olympians went to war with the revived Titans; this guy was the one who led us through the war," she explained. "Forever unclaimed son of Poseidon, the Hero-Of-One: Percy Jackson, also known as the Titan Slayer."

"Lofty title," Jason noted. "But you don't really sound convinced that he deserves it."

"No, he does," Winona said. "My own personal grievances aside."

"Okay…then why is he called the Hero-Of-One? As in one god?" Jason guessed.

"As in one person," Winona claimed. "Most of camp says he only really fought for…" she trailed off. "N-never mind."

Jason arched an eyebrow, but didn't press the issue.

She led him toward a large colosseum-looking structure, where Jason heard sounds of intense battle going on. Conveniently, Jason and Winona met Leo and Clarisse there. "What luck," Jason greeted, forcing a smile.

"You say that," Leo looked bored. "But we've been waiting for twenty minutes."

"Then…why aren't you going in?"

Clarisse had her eyes closed and her arms crossed. She didn't look particularly happy to be sitting out here in the sun, but she didn't look as bored or as annoyed as Leo. "It's disrespectful," she opened one eye to look at him. "He's in the middle of a class; why should we interrupt?" she explained. Winona crossed her arms, not convinced. Neither Jason nor Leo noticed her make the gesture, and took Clarisse's explanation seriously.

"Jeez, sounds like you revere the guy," Leo's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Is he like really cool? Is he like a modern-day Hercules?"

"Heracles," Winona corrected. "And you'll find out once you meet him."

"And that's something you can handle on your own," Clarisse said. "Me and Win have to go report to Chiron. You know your way back to the cabins."

"Yeah, I don't want to stick around here any longer than I have to," Winona's voice was laced with bitterness.

With that, the two of them left.

xxxXXXxxx

"You're not a very talkative one, are you?" Bianca asked Piper, after the girl hadn't said a word to the tour or any of the sights. Piper shook her head. "So…is it like a medical thing or do you just not wanna talk to me?" Piper held up two fingers, indicating the second explanation. "If you're gesturing, I can't see it. But I'm gonna assume it's the latter, unless you indicate otherwise," Bianca smirked. "Don't you worry about it; I was the same way; still am around new people. When this whole thing first started, I could barely talk to the newbies at all, but now, after so many tours, it's a lot easier."

Piper shook her head, though Bianca couldn't see it. Piper tried to think of a way to get across to her. She grabbed Bianca's hand, and began writing into it. 'Can you read this?'

"Um…yes?" Bianca said.

'I don't talk because it's dangerous when I do. I don't want anyone to get hurt.'

"…Like…what kinda dangerous?"

'Like if I asked someone to jump off a cliff, they'd do it.'

"Oh…" Bianca seemed to have a 'eureka' moment. "Percy told me about something like that. With Aphrodite, he said the way she talked felt like he was being forced to do it no matter what," she remembered. "But he said he was able to resist it a bit."

'People can't resist me.'

Piper found herself smiling; it was a nice play on words; she was always fond of those types of things. Bianca shrugged. "Well, dove, you might just not have enough control over your power yet, is all."

Piper frowned again. 'It's not worth getting control; it'd hurt too many in the pro-' Bianca took her hand away and put a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Yes, it is," the older girl said. "It's _always_ worth it, because one day your friends might need you to be in control to help them," Suddenly, Piper was surrounded by a pink glow. Bianca felt a godly presence nearby, and smiled. "Well, it seems to me like your mom thinks so too."

The others around them seemed to notice, with many people stopping and staring. Piper furrowed her brow, wishing she had a mirror to see what was on her face. Bianca unsheathed her sword.

"Don't touch it," she warned. "But look in the reflection."

When Piper looked, she saw that she was nothing like she was just a few minutes ago. Her makeup, which had never been on in the first place, was done to perfection, flawlessly accentuating the contours of her face, her lips appearing fuller and her eyelashes thick.

Her hair was done too, hanging in a subtle ponytail down her back, but straightened through, giving it the texture of silk. She wore a beautifully woven dress, pure white. Piper found herself blushing, trying to hide her face from the onlookers. Bianca sheathed her sword. "If I could see you, I bet you'd look really pretty," she complimented. Piper frantically grabbed her hand and wrote.

'Make them stop staring?'

Bianca chuckled. "Might be kind of hard, dove," she said. "But if you want them to stop, then tell them."

Piper froze. " _What if they take it the wrong way?"_ she thought. " _But…maybe Bianca is right? Just…choose you words carefully?"_ Piper opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it tight. " _No, you tried that,"_ she told herself. She urged Bianca forward.

"O-okay, alright, we'll go," the girl said. "Let's go to the cabins; I can take you to where you'll be staying."

" _Oh, thank God, or…thanks_ the _gods, I guess…?"_ Piper shook her head, relieved that she'd have a mirror and materials to take this disgusting look off of her face. As it was, too many people were still staring.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason and Leo ended up waiting at the entrance for another half an hour before Bianca arrived. "Hey, boys!" she greeted cheerily with a fake-salute. "What are you doing waiting by the back entrance?"

"Waiting for this guy's class to end," Leo said, his voice dull from sheer boredom. "How long does it take?"

"Class?" Bianca wondered. "It was scheduled to end twenty minutes ago. I saw the campers who attended by the showers even," she said. Then she chuckled. "Heh, saw, me."

Jason quickly realized what happened. "So they ditched us," he surmised. "And tricked us."

"What?!" Leo shot up. "Then let's not waste any time!"

"I like your style!" Bianca beamed, leading the two inside.

" _But if his class had been over for that long, why didn't the battle sounds end?"_ Jason wondered.

They soon found out that it was because this "Percy Jackson" had never stopped training. He was grunting and slashing through the air. He wielded a single sword in his right hand, deftly switching from forehand to backhand, letting loose a full series of strikes in just a second or two. His blade was like a blur in the air.

Leo's eyes lit up when he saw the man. "Now _that's_ a hero!" he exclaimed. "Oh, he looks _so_ cool!"

"I know, right?" Bianca agreed, getting as giddy as the younger boy. They both stopped when Percy noticed them, halting mid-exercise. He straightened, eyeing the group, giving Jason time to look at him.

He stood just a bit shorter than Jason did, with a less bulky form, more lean and lithe than anything. Whereas Jason had broad shoulders, Percy had slightly more droopy ones, but not like the Pyro from Team Fortress 2-level droopy.

He was without a shirt, which Jason would've found odd had he not heard the man training nonstop for the past hour. He could understand him getting hot.

What struck Jason was the amount of scars on his body. Jason lost count when he tried to number them, with two especially prominent ones; one on his chest, which looked like he was punched by the Hulk, and the other a massive crack-like scar making its way entirely around his neck, like his head had been cut off completely at some point and then reattached.

"Hey, Percy!" Bianca greeted. Jason hadn't noticed, but Percy had had a hard stare toward the two newcomers. The only reason Jason noticed was because the man's expression softened when he addressed Bianca.

"Hey, Firefly," he said, offering a soft smile. "These guys are, what, the third new group this week?"

"But it's Tuesday," Leo whispered.

Bianca shrugged. "Eh, the gods get around," was her only explanation.

Percy grabbed a towel and wiped some sweat from his body, walking toward Jason and Leo. "So," he said. "You must be their Saving Grace?"

Jason blinked, confused. "N-no, it's Jason. Jason Grace," Percy stopped, stunned for a brief moment. "What?"

"Nothing, just…nostalgia…" Percy turned to Bianca and glared. She scratched the back of her head nervously and whistled. Without saying anything, however, Percy turned back to the two newcomers. "Anyway, I guess you guys must be here for a lesson?"

"Lesson?" Leo questioned. "With you, directly?"

"Why not?" Percy asked. "I _am_ the camp's swordmaster, after all."

Leo's jaw dropped. "Awesome…" he gawked. Percy looked at Jason expectantly.

"But…I was told-"

"Don't really care what you were told. Now, I've got another class starting in ten minutes; either fight me or get out so I get prepare," Percy interrupted. Jason scowled.

"If you'd just listen to what-"

"What did I just say?"

Jason set his jaw, trying to contain his frustration. " _He's impossible,"_ he told himself. " _I should just walk away,"_ Still, Jason found himself speaking. "You should learn to hold your tongue. It could get you into trouble," Jason said.

"It has too many times already," Percy said with all seriousness. "But I've made it out just fine."

"Then you should know it might also cause trouble for those around you," the amnesiac warned. Percy shrugged.

"I can handle anything that comes our way," he said, smirking. "Even the gods are scared of me, after all."

Jason scowled, feeling a deep hatred for the man, though he didn't know why. He'd only just come into this life, after all. "That's traitorous, insulting talk, not to mention extremely arrogant," Jason claimed. "It'd be best if you took it back."

"And if I don't?"

Jason's lip twitched. " _He's leading me on…"_ Jason realized. " _Don't let him."_

"Tell you what; if you feel so strongly about it, then you can fight me and make me take it back."

"Oh, brother," Bianca put a hand on her hip.

Jason, against his better judgement, stood his ground. "Fine, you're on," he said, though inwardly, he was screaming at himself to just walk away. But something compelled him on; some primal force made him combat the Greek warrior.

Percy gestured to the various weapons around the arena, held in weapons racks. "Pick whatever you want. I'll stick with Riptide," he held up his blade. Jason kept an eye on Percy as he looked through the weapons. Percy talked while he searched. "Let's treat this as a lesson, shall we? Demigod fighting is nothing like human fighting. Us demigods can take a lot more abuse than regular mortals can, so fights last a lot longer. We react faster and we hit harder than regular mortals. In a fight between demigods, it's down to skill and endurance."

Jason ultimately settled on his own weapon, that coin from earlier. He flipped it, caught it, and smashed it into his other palm, the sword once again appeared. "I figured as much," Jason said, readying his blade in both of his hands. Percy, at first, raised an eyebrow, but then readied his own weapon lazily.

The first exchange didn't last very long. Jason charged, and swung downward, expecting Percy to block it. Percy did, and pushed to the side without stopping the momentum. Jason fell forward as Percy brought up his right elbow and smashed it into Jason's nose, before spinning around and using his other elbow to knock Jason to the ground.

Jason was dazed in a way he knew was familiar. He brought his hand up to his nose; bloody already. He stood. "What was that? I thought we were sword fighting?"

"It's called Muay Thai; it was invented…three weeks ago," Percy rolled his wrists, letting them crack.

"It's called dirty boxing, and there's nothing new about it!" Bianca called over. Percy smirked while Jason just raised an eyebrow.

"We had a movie-night a few weeks back and she had to catch up for the big crossover this year," Percy said simply. Jason didn't really care, simply charging forward again.

The younger demigod feinted another downward strike, trying to catch the swordmaster off-guard. He then brought up his knee, which was blocked by Percy's free hand. Jason's sword was in the way of a throat shot, so Percy settled for his arm, slashing it and then landing another elbow, this time to Jason's chest, making him stumble back a bit.

Percy kept up the pressure, getting into a brief clash with the demigod, before taking full control of the encounter and disarming Jason. His blade flipped up into the air, turning into a coin which landed away from its owner. Jason eyed Percy, who showed no signs of stopping the fight.

"Find a weapon!" Percy snarled. "You're fighting to live!" he charged Jason, who scrambled to the edge, finding a Celestial Bronze club. It was the first thing he grabbed; he didn't even have time to look before he dove away, only to have Percy slash his blade down violently, completely shattering the weapons rack in front of him.

"Um, Percy…" Bianca said hesitantly, seeing in many ways how this fight could get out of hand. "Maybe you should-"

"Quiet!" Percy snapped, waiting for Jason to attack, quickly getting impatient when doing so.

Jason struggled with the increased weight of the club, but tried to manage. Percy attacked this time, and Jason found it a bit easier to read his movements when he was the one defending. Jason still found himself completely outmatched, however. Jason was very quickly lured into a foolish offensive, with Percy entirely dictating the pace of the fight.

Jason thrust at Percy desperately. The son of Poseidon dodged the blow and grabbed Jason's arm in the follow-through, slamming him down into the ground behind him in a judo throw.

Jason's breath escaped him in the impact. "Get up!" Percy ordered.

Jason had lost grip of the club, but he noticed Ivlivs right beside him. He stood shakily, and flipped the coin again. He expected the sword, but instead, when he swiped his hands through the air to create the weapon, he got a shining golden spear instead.

"Different weapon for the opposite side, interesting," Percy muttered, eyeing his own weapon. "Oh, shut up," he said randomly. He attacked Jason again, but the younger demigod managed to use the spear's longer range to ward off his first attempt.

The same did not hold true for Percy's second try. Jason's movements felt very natural when wielding this spear, but it wasn't a match for Percy's own skill.

He weaved through Jason's warding blow, before knocking the spear straight out of his hands with a powerful shot near Jason's fingers; the vibrations rattling it out of his grasp. On its way down, Percy swiped it with his own blade, spinning it and reverting it once again to its coin form.

Percy then spun, using his full body as a hinge to swing his foot into Jason's head, extending his leg as if to slice straight through the younger demigod. Jason used his wind again, just barely pushing it away, with his also dodging the blow anyway. Percy, not being swayed by the motion, hopped off the ground when his foot landed, and kicked with his other foot. Jason dug his palm into Percy's heel as it came around, using his wind to blast him back.

Percy was momentarily dazed, allowing Jason time to grab another weapon, he didn't have time to flip Ivlivs again, and attack.

Percy, however, surprised Jason. He was low to the ground when Jason attacked. He came up with an unreal force, and for a moment, all Jason saw was a wild animal. Percy's teeth were barred, his form tense. He brought Riptide up, parrying Jason's blow.

In a fraction of a second, Percy had tossed Riptide into the air, caught it with his other hand in a reverse grip, and was holding the blade to Jason's throat. The battle was over.

The two men stood there for a moment. Jason was breathing harder than Percy, but neither was out of breath either. Slowly, the tension faded from Percy's body, and he removed his blade from its precarious position. "That's enough," he said calmly. "I've seen what I needed to see."

"Is that so?" another voice came through. Percy barely turned.

"Chiron," he addressed the old centaur. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Enough to see the tail end of your 'lesson'," Chiron claimed. "You'd do well to remember that you're in peacetime, Mr. Jackson."

"Right," Percy said, moving to the side of the arena and leaning on the wall. Jason stayed where he was, dumbfounded at what he was seeing. A man with the lower body of a white stallion; Jason couldn't help but wonder how his digestive system works, as it would appear that he had two; one for his human torso, and one for his horse body.

"Y-you're…" Jason didn't even know what to say.

"Oh, him?" Leo smirked, enjoying the stupor that Jason had entered. "He's been here since the fight started."

"You're taking this awfully calmly, young Leo," Chiron said off-handedly. "Almost as if…you've seen these types of things before?"

"Ah…erm…" Leo turned away, and Chiron didn't push the subject.

"Do you know your way to the cabins?" Chiron asked.

"Um, y-yeah," Leo answered.

"Then please leave us and introduce yourself to your cabinmates," he said. It wasn't an order, more of a soft push. Leo appreciated that tonal difference, and obeyed without complaint, though he shot Jason a wary look before he left.

Jason felt their eyes boring into him, searing through him, trying to figure out the secrets that he didn't even remember. Well…Bianca wasn't, but whatever. Every instinct in Jason's body screamed at him to run.

" _They're enemies,"_ Jason thought, though where the thought came from, Jason once again didn't know. " _Don't trust anything they say. They're liars, traitors, rebels."_

"Young Jason," Chiron clopped up to him, and held out a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

" _Huh, that's…an oddly normal greeting,"_ Jason thought, accepting the handshake wearily.

"I'm told that you can't quite remember who you are. Is this true?"

"Y-yeah," Jason answered quickly, hoping that Chiron had answers.

"Hm…I would like to hear from you what happened. Young Winona only witnessed a part of it, after all."

"I just woke up on a bus, and…" he recounted his story. During every pause, he wanted to attack, and the thought of _that_ desire sickened him. How could he wish harm on these people? Besides Percy, they seemed perfectly sane. He kept himself talking to avoid that urge.

"Well, that _is_ odd," Chiron pondered it.

"Do…do you know who I am? Have I been here before?"

"No, you haven't been here before," Chiron answered. "But that doesn't mean I don't know who you are."

"What do you mean?"

"This world of Greek myths is nigh infinite. Even the gods do not know all of what it contains. I have heard your name spoken by a few creatures, here and there."

"Who? Which ones? Can I talk to them? Maybe they can-"

"No, you cannot," Chiron said sternly.

"Why…why not?" Jason was hesitant to ask, given how quickly he was denied.

"It's a secret we swore to protect until the time was right," Percy claimed. "The time isn't right yet."

"When will it be right?" Jason questioned, perhaps too hastily.

"We aren't sure," Bianca said. "Not anytime soon, unfortunately."

"…Then why tell me anything?" Jason found himself asking.

"So that you know that you are not wrong when you feel things you believe you shouldn't," Chiron said. "It is best if you know that there is reason; most find it easier to cope with this kind of circumstance when they know that there is a higher power at work."

" _Higher power_?" Jason thought. "The gods?"

"Indeed," Chiron answered. "Now, all I ask of you, Jason Grace, is one thing. Live life here for a time. The answers will come; of that, I can assure you."

Jason considered this. "…Can I ask one question?"

"Go ahead."

"… _Did_ I just appear on that bus? Or did I forget being with Piper and Leo too?"

"…The Mist is a powerful thing," Chiron answered. "It can bend reality when needed, and it has been known to alter memories as well, even within demigods."

"The Mist?" Jason wondered.

"Think of it as a veil," Percy spoke up. "Mortal minds can't process gods and monsters under normal circumstances. The Mist covers it up. So when you flew, people would probably just see a big bird or something."

"While I can't tell for sure, as even the records of that Wilderness School have been altered to include you, I can guess that you never attended it, not one day."

"Then…everything they remember?"

"It's probably a lie created by the Mist," Bianca claimed.

Jason's first thought was how he was going to break the news to Piper and Leo. They weren't his friends. If these gut feelings were right, then they were actually enemies, but he would never tell them that. He could…maybe make an effort to let them down easy.

"Hey, Chiron, what about the other thing?" Bianca wondered.

"Oh, right. You saw your friend, Leo, be claimed by his father as you landed, correct?"

Jason shook out of his thoughts. "Y-yeah, is something like that going to happen to me?"

"It already has," Chiron said. "Jason Grace, son of Zeus. You have full rights to his cabin during your stay here."

" _During my stay…? Makes it sound like I'm leaving; is there any other place like this? Is_ that _where I'm from? Another camp like this?"_ Jason's thoughts didn't stop. Jason found himself frowning. " _Son of Zeus…doesn't sound right for me."_

 **Author's Note:**

 **No, it doesn't Jason. No, it doesn't.**

 **Hey! So what did you guys think? How about the giant change to the plot from the originals? Honestly, I've gotten so used to it at this point that going back to reading the books is really weird.**

 **But I digress; don't forget to leave a review, and I'll see you guys tomorrow!**


	3. Mixed Signals

Leo's first impression of the Hephaestus cabin was ecstatic, but then it was quickly followed by deep, deep sadness. He instantly felt right at home within the workshop environment, with loose nuts, bolts, and all manner of trinket just sprawled about haphazardly. It was a familiar setting.

His mother had been a mechanic herself, and Leo had spent most of his childhood…

Leo frowned, not finishing the trip down memory lane. "Hey, stranger," a voice came from nowhere. Speaking of, there didn't seem to be a single soul within the whole cabin, though Leo saw some hinges attached to bunks, so maybe they were in some secret compartments. Still, there was one person who was with Leo at the moment.

Here came the sadness…well, apart from the halted trip down a certain lane which will go unnamed just a few seconds prior.

Leo's eyes rested on a man in a full-body cast, with all but his face covered in bandages. He was laid up in his bed, and looked like he couldn't even turn his head to look at Leo. "Been a while since we've had a new cabinmate," his voice was sorrowful and dour. "Maybe you'll turn our luck around?' he wondered, though it sounded like he didn't believe it was possible.

"Um…what happened?" Leo asked cautiously.

"An incident…trying to fix something," the boy explained.

"That's not very specific," Leo said. "Any more details?"

"How about a name and an introduction instead?" the boy asked. "You can call me Jake Mason."

"Wonder why Hephaestus chose your mom," Leo remarked, in reference to his last name. Jake didn't look amused.

"Yeah…right…anyway, this is Cabin Nine, the cabin of Hephaestus, God of Forges. You can have…that bunk over there," he pointed to the one that didn't look like it'd been used for a while.

"You sure?" another kid suddenly appeared from the wall. "Isn't that…?"

"What?" Leo asked, walking over to it; it was surprisingly soft. The son of Hephaestus quickly plopped down onto it, feeling extremely tired from the rest of the day. "What's up?"

"That was…Beckendorf's spot…" the guy said.

"Who?"

"He was our old counselor," Jake said. "He died."

Leo froze. "…How?"

"A big explosion," was all they said. Leo suspected there was more to the tale, but it seemed the memories were just too painful, the wound too fresh, to bring themselves to recall.

Leo found himself shaking. "…Sounds familiar…" he muttered, so quietly that no one could hear. " _Just…try to think about something else!"_ he screamed in his head. "So, are we supposed to build everything in here or…?"

"No, there's a dedicated forge a ways away," Jake replied off-handedly. "It's hard to miss, actually, given how many fires have been starting from there recently?"

Leo cocked his head in confusion. "Why? Do Hephaestus kids light their hands on fire or something?"

"No, and if they did, then there would be a problem," he answered, causing Leo to instinctively stuff his own hands in his pockets. "No, it's just because everything that _can_ go wrong, has been going wrong since New York."

"Why is that?"

Jake sighed. "…People say it's because of a curse," he said, his voice low, pained, bitter. Leo knew the feeling well. "Ever since Beckendorf died…things just haven't been going right at all. And it's all because of that damned-" he stopped himself, looking at a sufficiently weirded-out Leo. "Sorry."

"No, please, go on. I _love_ hearing about this stuff," Leo said sarcastically. Jake took it literally.

"…It's Percy's fault we're like this," Jake spat. "It was his plan to get Beckendorf killed, after all."

"Wait, he _planned_ for his friend to die?" Leo questioned. "That's…" he recalled how violent the man was toward Jason. "I mean…" was this place led by a murderer?

"…He could've stopped it, more than anyone, he could've stopped it. He tells us that Beckendorf wanted to die, but…that's impossible."

"Right, psychopathic leader of camp, cursed cabin of which the guy's death who caused it I get his old bed, got it," Leo stood and headed to the door. "So, anything else I need to know about before I head to the forge which you say I can't miss?"

"…" Jake thought about it. "Don't go into the woods," he said. "Out there, monsters will be the least of your worries."

"A defective machine?"

"Automaton would be the politically correct term," Jake said. "But sure, it's something like that. The others can tell you more about it."

xxxXXXxxx

Piper's first impression of the Aphrodite cabin, who turned out to be her mother, was one of instant hatred. She nearly gagged upon entry due to the overwhelming array of perfumes lining the shelves on the walls. For every camper there was a bed, and for every bed there was a mirror, like you'd see at a hair-cutter's. Each was stacked with make-up and different make-up and even _more_ make-up and…Piper dreaded this place.

After Bianca dropped her off to go see the boys at the "arena," Piper was left to face the incredibly judgmental looks of her fellow Aphroditianites. One stood up. Perfect make-up (Piper could say that about everyone in the cabin, and laugh at them for it), Asian…that was about all Piper thought of her appearance; the girl, or any other person in the cabin, wasn't really her type.

Piper was actually fairly surprised at the diversity of the campers she'd seen, with a healthy mix of white, black, Asian, Middle-Eastern, Irish, and a whole assortment of other heritages. It was mixed enough that Piper didn't feel so out of place for her Cherokee lineage.

"Mother has blessed you, I see," the girl looked Piper up and down and shot her a dissatisfied look. "Hm…I would've done the hair differently," she noted. The others soon agreed. "Mother seems to be losing her touch."

Piper stood there as the girl circled her, silently tearing her apart with her eyes. "Think she's any good?" a guy asked; he looked like a supermodel. Tall, blonde hair, blue eyes; like Jason only fragile-looking.

"Don't know," the girl admitted. She'd circled back to the front of Piper. "Name's Drew Tanaka. And to whom do I owe the pleasure?"

Piper shook the girl's hand, and wrote out her name in sign language. Everyone just looked at her weird. Piper did a little horse buzz and then gestured like she was writing. Someone gave her a pen and paper. Drew read it aloud, though she struggled to read the words. Piper furrowed her brow, finding the wait of hearing her sound it out infuriating; it was like trying to listen to Leo read; the end was never in sight. "I'm Piper. It's nice to meet you all."

Drew lowered the paper and looked at Piper again, unimpressed. "Why Piper?" someone said.

"Because we can't seem to shut her up," Drew remarked, causing the others to laugh. Piper frowned, snatched the paper, and wrote something else, handing it to Drew. Once again, Drew had to read it slowly and sound it out. "At least I can read above a first grade level."

The others gawked at the insult to who Piper would soon realize was their cabin's counselor, their leader. Drew, at first, looked unamused, keeping a stoic face, but then she broke into a dry smirk.

"She's going to fit in just fine," Drew said. "Trust me, hon, we don't insult each other here. We playfully gibe is all; no harm done."

Piper could appreciate that. It was basically what Leo did; only the Aphrodite kids outright admitted that it was all in good fun, whereas with Leo it was guess work until she knew him better.

"We have a spare bed and mirror for you, hon," Drew gestured to the one in the corner, nearest to the door. "Pro-tip, try and get the make-up off for dinner, or else you'll have all of the Apollo guys all _over_ you!" the others laughed again. "Well, unless you _like_ that sort of thing," Piper grimaced.

"Mom probably won't let her," another girl said. "She always keeps the Blessing up for at least a day."

Piper's dread grew. " _If more people see me like this, like a clown, then…"_ she perished the thought, determined to get this gunk off of her face.

xxxXXXxxx

Leo soon found the forge that Jake had spoken about, and yes, it was on fire. The group of maybe fifteen Hephaestus children were either standing around it, keeping others away, or using self-refilling water buckets (yes, they had them) to put it out. Leo avoided the buckets; he didn't want to be doused, call it an old fear.

"Um…" Leo was hesitant to go near it, but he felt an obligation to do so. He approached one of the girls standing around. Her face was lined with soot, and her hands looked like his mother's; callused and ready to work. "Any reason you're being so calm?"

The girl looked a bit surprised by the question. Then she asked, "Are you new here?" Leo nodded. "Well, welcome, and all that. This is had been a regular occurrence for a while," she held out her hand. "While we wait, my name's Nyssa."

"Leo Valdez. Son of…the forge guy," he couldn't remember the name. Nyssa did a little grunt, and turned back to the fire. "…So, what happened?"

"One of our inventions exploded again," Nyssa said it like it was a regular occurrence, though it probably was at this point. "Shame…we really thought it'd be a winner…"

"And a single ka-boom set your whole place on fire? Seems like bad planning if it catches that easily."

"It shouldn't, based on design," Nyssa claimed. "But it does, so we deal with it."

Leo saw a figure approach, and the air around the area just changed. The effect was so sudden. "Here, here, let me help," Percy said, holding up his hand a forming a ball of water from nothing. Leo jumped back.

"Agh!" he cried upon seeing it. Percy gave him a weird look, but he was preoccupied as the Hephaestus campers formed a barrier between Percy and the burning forge. "W…what? What's up, you guys?"

"This again?" Percy sighed. "Come on, this is a waste of time."

"Go away, Hero-Of-One," one of the campers spat.

"For the last time, we don't need you."

Percy gave them a hard stare, before willing away the water ball. He held up his hands. "Fine, I'll leave and do something other than be bitched at," he started walking away.

"And don't even _think_ about hunting down the dragon!" Nyssa called after him. He shot a half-hearted thumbs up.

He left then, but the intensity in the air didn't fade immediately. "D…do you guys really hate him that much?" Leo wondered.

"He killed our brother," a guy claimed.

"He killed more than Beckendorf, back at Williamsburg."

"Quiet," Nyssa called over the complaints, which numbered many more than just the two listed. "Let's get back to the fire."

Once the fire was out, which took far longer than it should've, considering they had a one-man-water-plant in Percy, Leo finally got to see the camp's forge. It was…absolutely nothing like anything he'd ever seen before, and he'd been to other forges and even worked in them.

This was on a whole other level, but…Leo thought that he could make it to that level. He smirked, and started building, eager to take his mind off of all of this heavy stuff that he didn't care for.

That didn't pan out.

"So, are you our new brother that the others were telling me about?' Nyssa asked.

"Guess so," Leo said curtly; he didn't like to chat while he worked.

"Well, we'll do what we can to make you feel at home, alright?"

"Sure."

Nyssa paused. "What are you-"

"Done," Leo said, revealing his custom-made Magic Greek Metal (that's the Celestial Bronze that Leo didn't know what it was called yet) RC car. He set it on the ground and used a controller which he'd built to make it fly between the others' legs. "Pretty cool, huh? I might've, erm, borrowed a few bolts and wires from the cabin, but I think it turned out alright. When I can get some of that weird metal stuff to add more siding, it'll be even better!"

Nyssa blinked at the younger boy, shocked. "That's…that's the first thing that's worked in three weeks…" she muttered. Leo scrunched his nose.

"Eh? You serious?"

Nyssa nodded, and Leo noticed that the others were similarly in awe, with a far few also having a mix of jealousy as well.

"You…you could be the person we've been looking for!" Nyssa exclaimed.

"Yeah sure," Leo shrugged, not thinking much of it. "I'll be your hero, if you want."

"You could help us solve our dragon problem!"

"Dragon- wait, what?" Leo questioned. He soon remembered both Jake's final words, about what was in the woods, and Nyssa's to Percy, about a dragon.

"You see," Nyssa began. "Beckendorf, our old counselor, found this bronze dragon out in the woods one day."

"Like…a statue?"

"No, like a fully functional automaton dragon. It even breathed fire!"

"Um…"

"Beckendorf was able to keep it from going berserk, but after he died…"

"And…why didn't you send-" Leo was about to ask why Percy didn't deal with it.

"It's our problem," a man across the room interrupted.

"We need to do this, as a family."

"Or else we…aren't worthy to be called Beckendorf's brothers and sisters."

Leo expected them to start talking at the same time like a hive mind. " _And now you will be one of us…"_ he smirked as he thought about it.

"You look eager to get started!" Nyssa exclaimed. Leo frowned, realizing that his smirk had given the wrong impression.

"Uh, no, I-"

"Let's get started!" they all dragged him in and didn't let him leave until dinner.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason didn't even get a chance to go to his cabin. After Chiron had his little talk with him, he told Bianca to keep the newcomer company, and she agreed. While he wanted to protest and go straight to the cabin, maybe find some answers and ask his father for help, Bianca kept him busy, showing him to the ins and outs, whereas Winona had only given him the basics.

Wait…why did he want to ask his father for help, again? He was a god, right? Why would he care? " _Because you're his son, apparently,"_ Jason thought. " _…Apparently."_

Maybe he could broach the question. "H-hey, it's Bianca, right?"

"Yep-eroony!"

"Have you ever…talked to your godly parent?"

"Oh yeah, all of the time!" she said casually. "Dad always seems pretty on edge around me, though. He's a lot more chill around other demigods."

"O-oh…and…is there a way to contact them regularly?"

"Sure, all you need is some water mist and a drachma. Iris will do the rest, provided they're available and not doing some mega-important world-saving feat when you call."

Jason nodded methodically. He could ask his father what happened to him. He's a god; he should know, right?

"And, are they usually 'available'?" Jason asked. It felt awkward to say that about the gods. He would've thought they'd _always_ be doing something mega-important.

"Well, if Percy calling Zoë basically every night to chat is any indication, I'd say you've got pretty good chances. Though, your dad might be under the same vow of secrecy that we are, so I wouldn't hold my breath for a massive revelation or anything."

That certainly sunk Jason's spirits. " _I should still try,"_ he thought. Then he started thinking. "Zoë? Is that some kind of minor god?" he asked. He thought he knew most of the Olympian gods, though again, where he got the knowledge is unknown.

"Oh, Zoë is Artemis, goddess of the hunt," Bianca clarified. "You know, eternal maiden, moon goddess, has a huge stick up her ass around most guys."

"Artemis has a mortal name?"

"Well, she didn't…until she died and Zoë replaced her," she said it so nonchalantly.

"What?!" Jason stopped. "A goddess _died_?! That's…that shouldn't be possible!"

"Well…" Bianca hesitated, weary of the big reaction. "Immortals can kill other immortals; it's why Ouranos has stayed dead, for lack of a better term, after Kronos killed him. Artemis fell in combat to the Titan Atlas, protecting me, Percy, Zoë, and…" Bianca paused. It sounded like she was going to say another name. "And we eventually got revenge. Well, Percy did anyway, and that was enough for us."

"Um…it sounds like a bad memory," Jason said. "I-I'm sorry for bringing it-"

"Let's just say that Artemis wasn't the other only who died that day, and she wasn't the only casualty of the Titan War," Bianca said resoundingly, ending the topic. Within a few seconds, they began walking again, and Bianca was back to her cheery self. "Anyhow, yeah, Percy calls Zoë basically every night for no reason."

"I thought she was a maiden goddess."

"She is; doesn't mean they can't be friends. Besides, Percy is taken at the moment, and probably forever."

"By who? Can I meet her?" Jason wondered. " _Maybe see how she manages to control him?"_

"Nope," she replied.

"But…why not?"

"Can't say."

"But-"

"Alright, so right here is the archery range," she interrupted as they reached their next destination. "Hey, Win!" she called over to the younger girl, leaving Jason to wonder about this mystery girl and Bianca's own past with the Greek legends.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason was led to the dining pavilion, where Bianca left him. Before, he'd seen many tables all neatly aligned, with some campers, mostly Athena kids, playing some strategy board game. Now, though, all of the tables have been moved to the perimeter, like a fortification. There was a large marble table in the center, circular-shaped, with all manner of delicacy to dig into. Campers were huddled into smaller groups, rather than being confined to sit with their cabin, as Bianca had told him things used to be.

"Why did they change it?" Jason wondered, not seeing much of a problem with it.

"It was Percy's idea, and he said he got it from an old enemy," she said. "He said too much of camp life is dictated by who their godly parent is, and that it was demeaning to those from obscure or unpopular gods like Hypnos or my dad, Hades."

Jason considered this, but it still rubbed him the wrong way. "But…the way it is now, it's like we're a big blob of talent, with no focus," he said absent-mindedly. "It's like combining aspects of all the gods into a single statue; it loses the individuality of them all."

"Or it could just be more fair," Bianca waved it off.

That was when they'd arrived and she ditched him. Jason spotted Piper hanging out with her new cabinmates, or he assumed they were her cabinmates. Something was off about her too; she seemed to glow, like she was calling out to him without words, asking her to come talk to her.

He was about to as well. " _Only to tell her that I haven't ever been her friend,"_ he reminded himself, destroying any good feeling he might have had about the conversation.

He didn't get a chance to go up to her, however, at least not yet. "Hey, Jason!" Leo's voice was also easy to pick out; his voice was pretty high-pitched for his age.

Jason turned and saw him claw his way out of a clump of his own cabinmates; they all shared his long, calloused fingers and permanent dirty look like they'd just been in the forge…heck, they probably were.

"Hey, Leo," the man greeted upon meeting up with the shorter demigod. "How's it going?"

"Eh," Leo shrugged. "Aside from the impending threat of a giant mechanical dragon on the horizon, it's going great!"

"…You know, I can't tell if you're joking, and that's terrifying."

Leo smirked evilly. "Heheh, good. That's _just_ how I like you, Superman," he said. Jason raised an eyebrow. "What? Don't look at me like that; you're the one that flew."

"Sure, Leo. Speaking of that, I need to talk to you."

"What's up?"

"Well, did anyone tell you about the Mist?"

"Well…" Leo thought back. "They said it hides monsters from regular people, right? What about it?"

"Well, it can also…alter…memories," Jason wasn't sure how else to put it. Leo didn't seem to put two and two together. "Including yours of…me."

"Nah, bro," Leo grinned. "Not possible."

Jason scrunched his eyebrows. "Not possi- Leo, I'm saying that I don't actually know you; I never have."

The son of Hephaestus frowned. The expression didn't look right on him. "Um…okay," he didn't seem convinced. "And what about the time I covered you in flour right before class, and how it was your only detention? You're saying that didn't happen?"

"Y…yes," Jason said.

"Right, okay," Leo chuckled. "Well, however long you wanna keep this lame joke going, I can-"

"Leo, it's not a joke. I'm completely serious. I don't know you. At all."

Leo's frown deepened into a light scowl. "…You can't be."

"I am," Jason repeated. "I'm not like you, I don't belong here."

"Who says I belong here either?" Leo questioned childishly. "Dude, you're my best friend; how can you seriously not remember?"

"I…I'm sorry, Leo, I really am, but-"

"Well, if you're not my friend, then why are you talking to me?"

"Now, hey, come on, that's not-"

"Let me know when you're ready to drop the joke, alright?" Leo crossed his arms. Jason figured he wouldn't be able to get anything else out of him for the night. He needed time to process the information.

"I guess…time to go break the news to Piper, then…" he left awkwardly.

Leo stood there by himself for a while. He'd always had an aversion to the act; he _needed_ someone there to bounce off of. But with Jason playing his stupid prank, and Leo not really wanting to spend a whole day with his cabinmates if he could (they were being too possessive), he had no other choice really.

That is, until his other friend appeared. "Yo, Lee," Grover greeted, approaching Leo while holding the hand of a pretty girl who glowed green.

"Hey, Grover!" Leo was instantly cheerful again for a brief moment. "Wait…you're not part of that stupid joke too, are you?"

Grover chuckled. "Depends on the joke."

"Well, Jason is still doing his whole amnesiac routine, and now he's saying that he was never even there at the Wilderness School to begin with," Leo explained. "Stupid, right?"

Grover exchanged a look with the girl. "Uh…June…could you, uh, give us a sec?" The girl left. "Look, Leo…I don't know how to tell you this, but…he wasn't lying."

"What are you talking about?" Leo questioned. "People don't just pop out of nowhere. That's impossible, right?"

"When we're dealing with gods and monsters, nothing's impossible, man," Grover claimed. "I…knew from when he first started 'the routine' that he didn't belong. Until that point, I'd never seen him before in my life, honest."

"But…" Leo stopped and thought it through. "Okay, assume I believe it; does that mean you aren't my friend either?"

"What?"

"Yeah, you're from this world, like Jason thinks he is. Was everything we did a lie from the Mist too?"

"Eh? No, that's different. Did anyone ever tell you what a satyr's job is?"

"Nope."

"We go into schools to protect unaware demigods," he explained. "We could spend anywhere from a month to three years in that school, getting close to the demigod in question, until they're ready to come to camp."

"So everything you said _was_ a lie, to get close to me and Piper?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, alright?" Grover stopped Leo from freaking out like he did with Jason. "Let me say this; you are the easiest friend I've made in my life. Nothing about what we've got is fake."

"…Promise?"

Grover put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I promise, man. You're my friend, no matter what happens."

Leo smiled lightly, cheered up by that knowledge, if only a little. "Thanks."

"Anytime. Hey, let's get you some food, alright? Diet Coke's on me."

"I was told they magically refill," Leo pointed out.

"Same difference."

xxxXXXxxx

Jason's odd confession to Piper ended with him getting slapped. He walked away, rubbing his cheek. "Ouch, did she take it _that_ badly?" he heard someone ask. When he looked, her saw Percy sipping from a goblet.

"Not really," Jason admitted. "I asked her to do it."

He got a look of bewilderment. "…Why?"

"Because it would've felt wrong if she didn't do _something_ ," he said, recalling how she didn't seem to have much of a reaction at all. Little did he know that she just didn't show what she truly felt. "Still…didn't expect her to get so into it…" he rubbed his cheek again.

"Well, here," the older demigod offered a goblet of his own. "I recommend some good old Dr. Pepper…maybe Cream Soda, if you like sweeter stuff."

Jason didn't remember what either of those were, but he chose the latter and found it to his liking. "Thanks," Jason said. The two looked out to the rest of the demigods, not sharing words for a while. Jason was sitting at one of the perimeter tables, while Percy leaned against one of the marble pillars which held up the roof.

"Hey, I wanna apologize about earlier," Percy said suddenly. "I swear that isn't normally how I am, especially not with people I don't know."

"O-oh, really?" Jason wondered, not quite sure how to react to that.

"You were a special case. Think of it like a…test, of sorts."

"And…did I pass?" Jason asked, curious.

"Mm…I'm not gonna say."

"Of course you're not, because gods forbid I know anything I'm supposed to," Jason replied bitterly. He took a moment to process what he said. "O-oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's cool," Percy said. "You don't have to be afraid to share your thoughts here," he took a sip of his drink. "And yeah, it blows; I get it. Just…try not to think about it, would be my advice."

"R-right…" Jason couldn't help but ignore Percy's guidance. He still didn't trust the son of Poseidon. It seemed that Percy reciprocated these feelings.

"…I don't like you, Grace," he said it bluntly; there wasn't any anger or even provocation in his voice, just bitterness at the situation. Again, Jason had no idea what the situation was. "And I hate that, because it's not your fault or mine. Right now, I'm fighting the urge to throttle you; thought I'd give you fair warning."

"Oh, t-thanks?" Jason said awkwardly. " _No, don't thank him, you dolt,"_ he thought.

"I'm sure you've felt the same about me," Percy shrugged. "Which is fine."

"Who me? No, I would never…" Percy wasn't buying it. "…I…I may not know much about myself, but everything about our fight felt wrong. I…I _know_ I don't normally get provoked like that," Jason looked down at his hands. "I _hate_ fighting, I don't like hurting people or even thinking about it. The only reason I could think of to fight is to protect someone, or something."

Percy looked off into the crowd, contemplative. Before he could say anything, however, Bianca and Winona approached.

"Hiya, Percy!" the blindfolded girl greeted. "What brings you here?"

The man shrugged. "Felt like a change of pace."

"Does that mean Ethan is over there tonight?"

Percy nodded. Jason stood, confused. "What, does he not usually show up to dinner?"

"No, he has his own," Bianca claimed. "See, a bunch of demigods chose to-" Winona slapped a hand over the girl's mouth.

"Maybe don't share all of our secrets just yet," the younger girl said, taking her hand away. "We don't know if we can-"

"Win, we can trust him," Percy said, shrugging once again. "If he's gonna live here, he has a right to know."

" _Odd, given what he just told me,"_ Jason thought.

Winona shot Percy a glare for interrupting her, before expounding. "During the Titan War, a number of demigods turned on the Olympians. Many of them were captured. They were ultimately betrayed by Kronos and chose to fight alongside the Olympians until the end of the war. The only one allowed in camp is Ethan, who actively chose to return to the Olympians for his own reasons, while the others reside past Percy's house, a little ways out of camp along the Sound."

"So, you have traitors," Jason summed up. "What happened? How come they left?" he asked, finding the idea of insubordination ridiculous.

The three averted his gaze. Percy seemed to acquire an odd fascination with his drink. "…Luke happened…" he said, his voice melancholic.

"Who's…?"

"He was…" Bianca didn't have the word, knowing full well what he meant to Percy and his girlfriend.

"A friend," Percy muttered.

"The first traitor," Winona corrected. "He ultimately served as Kronos' host, right up until the end."

Jason raised an eyebrow. " _Getting mixed signals here…"_

He was about to question why their responses were so mixed, when Winona noticed something across the way. "Ugh, hang on," she said, beginning to walk away. "I need to go discipline my cabin," she said, marching over to the guys who were gawking at the Aphrodite girls, namely Piper.

"She seems…pleasant," Jason muttered, silently thankful that she wasn't his cabin counselor.

Bianca clapped her hands. "Alrighty then. I'm going to San Francisco," she announced.

"Why?" Jason questioned.

"Be careful," Percy said, acting as if it was planned for her to leave, while her announcement made it seem sporadic.

"Whoa, can we leave whenever we want?"

"I can, you can't," Bianca said quickly, standing.

"Why?" Jason repeated the question.

"Don't forget to Iris-Message once you set up," Percy reminded her as she became enveloped in shadows. She shot them both a peace sign and a grin before the shadows sunk into the ground with her in them. In a few seconds, even they disappeared. Jason blinked, unsure of what he just saw.

"…You're not going to tell me why or how or anything, are you?"

"Nope," Percy answered, walking away and leaving Jason alone.

 **Author's Note:**

 **I feel like I'm dicking over Jason with stingy information just as much as I'm dicking you all over by doing it too. Fear not, young pupils; all will be revealed in time.**

 **Anyway, no big action piece this time, but we do get a bit more into camp life.**

 **A couple notes I forgot to mention, so you guys aren't disappointed after having invested like...90,000 words into the first book adaptation. Frank and Hazel are basically gone. They have minor roles, but are not central characters and their backstories are just plain gone. I don't like them, and I didn't feel like making them interesting and bloating the character roster even further. I already think it's going to be tough juggling what I've got now.**

 **Anyway, yeah, just a warning to all two of their fans.**

 **With that said, though, let me know what you guys think! And thanks so much for the big support from the first two chapters!**


	4. It's For The Best

Jason sat by himself for a while, after being questioned by Winona about where Bianca ran off to that is. After a while of not wanting to be the loner, he departed from the dinner. He went back to the cabins, hoping that his father's cabin might hold some answers, or at least feel more like home than the rest of camp did.

Jason felt out of place; he didn't belong here. That was evident from the moment he stepped off of the chariot.

Jason opened the doors of the cabin, which looked like it hadn't been touched in at least two years. " _Odd…"_ he thought to himself. " _There's got to be another child of Zeus at camp, right?"_

He didn't find any evidence that such a person existed, at least not at the current moment. He found exactly one sleeping bag in the whole cabin, while the rest was cold marble. It was in the back right corner, where Jason saw some belongings.

He approached them, thinking at first that they were at camp, and hoping to find a name to speak to them later. However, not only could he not find a name, but the belongings clearly hadn't been touched for a long time. Hanging on the wall were several pictures, well, two.

The first one Jason noticed was the newer of the two, and instantly figured the Goth-looking girl was his half-sister. He judged it based on her sky-blue eyes; same as his.

The picture itself was of the Goth girl, who looked about Jason's current age, and another girl, younger, maybe fifteen or sixteen. She had long blond hair and piercingly bright gray eyes, like silver. The younger girl seemed more eager for the photo than the Goth did.

Jason smiled. " _At least she had friends_ ," he thought. It wasn't a jealousy, but a genuine warmth that she wasn't treated as an outcast, from both her blood and how she chose to present herself.

Jason's eyes drifted to the other picture. This one was quite old, roughly ten years old, he would guess from the graininess. This depicted the Goth girl again, but she was younger, maybe twelve. Alongside her was the same blonde, looking seven (he couldn't decipher whether they just aged strangely or if he was wrong about their ages to begin with), along with another boy around the Goth's age. He looked vaguely like Jason, only thinner, and with a mischievous smile on his face, like he was about to rob you blind.

This time, everyone involved looked thrilled to be in the photo. Jason noticed their griminess; dirt lined their faces and arms, with small cuts on them as well. They all looked thin, compared to how the two girls looked in the other photo anyway. He would guess they were on the streets, maybe picked up an older camera, the kind that instantly popped out a photo that you had to shake to make the picture appear.

Jason could only guess as to who these people were and what their story was. He hoped it had a happy ending, genuinely he did. Jason returned to the center of the room. The corner had purposefully been setup to avoid the all-seeing eye of the statue housed within the one-room cabin.

"…Father…" Jason muttered, unsure of whether to think of him as Zeus or Jupiter. His gut reaction was the latter, but this cabin had been explicitly stated to be for the children of Zeus. " _Are they even two separate gods, or two facets of the same one?"_ Jason thought, sitting in front of the statue. The way it was angled, and with Zeus' outstretched arm, it almost looked like he was willing Jason to kneel. " _I wonder…did you offer her guidance?"_ he wondered of the goth girl. " _I wonder…if you'll give me…something…anything…?"_

Jason crossed his legs and straightened his back. He wasn't really thinking about what he was doing, but rather trying not to think. Jason put his hands on his lap, interlacing the fingers, touching the thumbs, and facing the palms up.

He closed his eyes, letting his mind drift off. Jason felt as if he must've done this before; everything about it just felt so natural to him.

Jason then felt a warm wind blow past him. And suddenly, he was in an entirely different location. At first it seemed like just a white void, but soon, his vision encircled him, to where he was standing on a marble floor which extended out like a spotlight in the circle from him. He saw two people in front of him. One of them was himself, looking…maybe a year, maybe two years younger than he was currently? That sounded about right, though Jason didn't know why.

" _Odd…"_ he thought as he tried to focus in on the other person, a female, but something, some invisible force just wouldn't let him look at her face. " _Maybe I would recognize her?"_ he wondered. He stayed silent, though he doubted if they would've heard him, should he have spoken, anyway. They began having a conversation.

Before this, they'd been silent, in an almost reverent way, like they were trying to be respectful. In fact…yes. Jason stepped closer, shifting his circle of vision, and saw the feet of a statue. They were probably praying to whatever god was depicted by the statue. The girl had been kneeling, and then burst up in excitement. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe it! I can't believe I'm _finally_ being promoted!"

Other Jason smiled. "You deserve it," he said. "More than anyone."

"Well, yeah," she said, like it was obvious. "But I _do_ feel kind of bad leaving you all alone in the Fifth."

"I'll be fine; a replacement will be picked soon enough."

"Yeah, I bet you _are_ eager to replace me, huh?" the girl teased. "Don't lie, Jay, you're gonna miss having me around to brighten your day."

"You beating me in everything we do doesn't 'brighten my day'," Other Jason said. "But yes, I'll miss having you by my side."

"Oh come on, give me more," she said, clearly relishing the compliments. Both Jason's sighed.

"You're strong-willed, always pulling the Fifth through the toughest of challenges that I _know_ I couldn't have led them through alone," Other Jason continued. "I hope…I hope someday, we get to work side-by-side again."

"What? You mean you're really aiming for the top? Wow, Jay, I didn't think you cared so much," the teasing continued.

"I don't, but…" Other Jason considered his words. "If I'm going to mean something, if what I do is going to do good for all of camp…I can't always be stuck with the Fifth, and only the Fifth."

"Hey, hey, don't forget who taught you about all of that stupid sappy heroic stuff, remember. She's still in charge to tell everyone about it while you grow up."

"Yeah, I know-"

"And don't forget how long she's had to hold the torch _by herself_!"

"I know that, but-"

"Since she was seventeen; that's two whole years," Jason assumed that the girl was smirking, as she leaned closer to Other Jason. "Or is it that you wanted to help her out to get into her-"

"I don't know how you get on these tangents," Other Jason interrupted. The girl laughed, standing up straight again. Jason noticed her physique; durable, worked, confident. She out-muscled Jason _and_ Other Jason, easily.

"And you realize that she's stuck with that gig, that I'm stuck with this gig, for life, right?"

"I'm aware," Other Jason said. "But I think there's always room for another idealist."

"You mean a softie."

Other Jason shrugged. "Eh, it wouldn't be a bad life with you there," he said, not realizing what that implied. The girl stepped back, clearly embarrassed. Other Jason looked at her, confused. Hell, Jason was confused, the thought never crossed his mind that she could've taken it as 'You would make the life better' as in he had feelings for her. "What?" Other Jason wondered.

"You…" the girl clocked Other Jason on the head. "You need to _watch_ what you say!"

"Ow! That was _completely_ unnecessary, R-!" when Other Jason said her name, Jason's hearing must've whacked out. Either that, or the stupid force blocking his memory was blocking the name too. It was probably the latter.

Shortly after that, when Other Jason and the girl walked out at the sound of a bell, the scene faded away. Jason was tossed all about then, literally, like he was tumbling through the sky.

The flying demigod wasn't afraid of falling, or heights, or anything. If Chiron was to be believed, then this was his father's domain. "Father!" Jason called out into the void. "If you can hear me, please answer!" Nothing came back but Jason's echo. At first.

Then, Jason saw words forming in the void, like Zeus was literally writing in black ink in the sky. 'You must not be the only one to fly'

That was all Jason was given before he was shoved back into his own body. The demigod lurched forward, barely catching himself from falling on his stomach. His body was drenched in sweat, and he was panting. " _Odd…"_ he thought. " _Shouldn't be this tired…right?"_

Whether or not he should've been this tired, Jason felt that way, and it was nearing three in the morning. Jason stood and shuffled over to the sleeping bag, brushed off some dust and fell asleep, deciding to buy an actual bed the next day.

xxxXXXxxx

Leo found himself trying everything he could to get away from his cabinmates. Yeah, he wanted to help them with their dragon problem, but a guy could only take so much, _especially_ when these guys had like negative percentages of humor at their disposal collectively.

He sighed, leaning back from being hunched over a desk. Leo had spent all night working with this Celestial Bronze stuff, and he picked up…well, almost instantly. When he first figured it out, his cabinmates asked him what he did, as everything they'd made had gone to total crap. Leo had no idea what to say, so he just said to 'do it', and then went back to his work.

When that didn't work, they asked him to make them weapons, and that was when he took his leave. He said he was going to the bathroom, but he ended up returning to the cabin. There, Jake told him that Beckendorf had his own personal mini-forge/workshop right underneath the cabin.

" _Wish you'd have told me that earlier, guy,"_ Leo thought, pressing the button and emerging into the area. It was cluttered, messy, and it was nearly impossible to take a step without walking all over scrap metal; exactly how Leo liked it.

"Phew," he sighed, holding up his night's work. "…Wonder if she'll like it?" he chuckled. "More like 'wonder if it'll even work'," he muttered, standing and returning to ground level.

The sunlight beaming through the two windows of the cabin hurt Leo's eyes. When he passed one of the only mirrors, he saw that his face was charred from working with the forge. He shrugged, not seeing much point in cleaning up. "What's with you?" Jake asked. "You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night."

Leo shrugged. "I didn't; had a lot on my mind," he claimed, which wasn't untrue. He just didn't think about it; he'd distracted himself with his work. He walked toward the door.

"Aren't you tired?"

Leo stopped and thought about it. " _Am I?"_ he thought, inwardly realizing that that wasn't a good thing to have to ask. "Can I buy coffee anywhere here?"

"Demigods don't normally drink coffee," Jake mentioned.

"I hate the taste too," Leo added. Jake gave him a weird look. Leo blinked. "Alright then," he said as he exited.

The son of Hephaestus wasn't sure where he was looking. He was sure she was up by now; it looked to be almost noon. Finally, he found her with some of her cabinmates. "Piper!" Leo called, beaming at seeing a friend. She turned and smiled, though her cabinmates seemed less than thrilled about seeing him. Leo stepped forward, but was then swarmed.

"I wouldn't go over there," Nyssa said, as a group of Hephaestus campers blocked his way.

"Huh? W-why not?" Leo wondered, feeling a bit boxed in.

"They're Aphrodite," was all she answered with.

"But-"

"Come on, you missed breakfast. Let's go to the store to get you some grub."

And just like that, Leo was dragged off again by his cabinmates. A minute later, and they were all sitting at a picnic table, looking like those idiots from Grease, munching on some chips.

"So…is anyone gonna catch me up to speed with the love spawn situation?" Leo asked.

"We don't like them."

"…Is that it?"

"Does there need to be anything else?"

"Um, yeah," Leo said. "My friend is a love spawn."

"Why don't you call them children of Aphrodite?" one guy asked.

"Too long," Leo claimed. "Now come on; spill."

They all fell silent. Leo kept pressing a few more minutes, and Nyssa finally broke. "It…has to do with the Titan War."

"Oh, this again," Leo said.

"It was a big deal, you dickweed," she argued, whacking Leo in the back of the head. "We lost a lot of friends…a lot of family…"

"And…why does-"

"It was their counselor's fault," one guy interrupted.

"Eh?"

"The Aphrodite counselor was a traitor, a spy, for the Titans. She was also dating our counselor," Nyssa explained, her eyes darker than usual. The air around them turned somber. "When Beckendorf found out…he…he just gave up…on everything…"

Leo didn't respond, just let them continue.

"…If it wasn't for her…Beckendorf would still be alive, and this stupid curse wouldn't be on us…"

"Okay…" Leo didn't quite understand it himself. But he saw his cabin's feelings, and he chose to accept them. "I…I'll try not to talk to them, alright?"

"It's for the best," Nyssa assured.

"But…how long is this gonna go on? Like what do they have to do to make it up to you guys?" Leo questioned. He didn't get an answer, as the others just shuffled away sullenly.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason found himself not buying that bed he promised himself, as he lacked the funds, and instead simply coasting around camp in a skateboard of air. To onlookers (there were plenty of onlookers seeing this weirdo), it looked like Jason was floating about two inches off the ground at the speed of one Marty McFly when he's not over water.

He wasn't sure where he'd intended to go or what he'd intended to do with his day, as there was nothing, that he knew of, that he could do to further his own understanding of his situation. So, he just kept thinking through the vision he'd had, trying in vain to remember that girl's name, or anything else about her.

Looking at the memory, because it was clearly an incomplete memory, out of context, Jason wasn't sure why he interacted with that girl. He wasn't sure why he would choose to associate himself with someone like that unless he was forced to. She was brash, cocky, rude, condescending…kind of like Percy, now that he thought about it. " _They'd probably get along great,"_ Jason thought.

Though for whether or not he was forced to, Jason wasn't sure. From the dialogue Other Jason and the girl had, it made it sound like they _were_ forced together, at least to begin the relations between them. But then, the girl was being promoted, which, depending on the type of society, she could've applied for or been chosen and given no other choice.

The son of Zeus sighed. " _No use thinking about it too much,"_ he thought. " _It'll just make me more confused…"_ Jason's eyes wandered to a group of Aphrodite kids, with Piper among them. The two caught eyes for a brief moment. Jason offered a smile and a wave, but she didn't do anything back. It almost look like she was going to return the wave, or flip him off, but her cabinmates noticed Jason's gesture, and proceeded to tease the hell out of her. She swatted their hands away when they pointed at her, not taking their stupid crap.

Then Jason saw Leo, being left by his own cabinmates. "Leo!" Jason called, veering toward the smaller boy. When Jason came up to him, he kicked off of the air to land on the ground, the motion being very familiar to Jason's body. "Hey, what's up?" Leo shot Jason a shady look before sticking his tongue out and turning away, arms crossed. "What? Oh, come on, Leo."

"Are you done doing the stupid joke?" he questioned.

"Leo, it wasn't a joke," Jason repeated. "And I know it has to feel…empty, but I want to make it up to you."

"…How so?"

"Well, we may not have known each other before yesterday, but that doesn't mean we can't know each other today, right? Come on, let me do something for you, and we can hang out and become _actual_ friends, like how you want us to be."

Leo considered this. Inwardly, he was cursing himself. Even if the memories were fake, Leo could never bring himself to turn down Jason's offers of goodwill. The guy was seriously naïve. That's coming from the guy who was insanely naïve compared to basically everyone else in his age group.

The son of Hephaestus shuffled on his feet. "Well…I guess…and this isn't a joke?"

"Promise. Just tell what I've got to do," he claimed.

"Well…alright, we can give this routine a 'go', I guess," Leo conceded. "I'll think of something better later, for now, can you do me a solid and give this to Piper?" Leo held up a small bag. Jason took it and nodded, offering another smile.

"No problem, Leo. And hey, I heard there's a campfire tonight; maybe we can work something else out then?"

"Um, sure," Leo said awkwardly before Jason skated off toward Piper, guns blazing, so to speak. Get it, because…his guns, muscles, were out because…he was wearing a sleeveless…never mind.

Jason felt good about that conversation. His intention was never to cease communication with the two, but rather to…restart it. Assuming that he really was just put on that bus by some unknown force, it seemed only fair to the two who had to suffer from it, Leo and Piper, to try and make it up and be friends for real.

Jason, perhaps not being entirely tactful, waltzed straight up to the group of Aphrodite campers that he'd seen earlier. "Hey," he greeted, trying to sound amiable. The looks they gave him ranged from disinterested to googly-eyed, depending on the gender.

"Oh hello!" Drew was the first to stand and beam at him. "And what brings a hunk like you here to a pretty lady like me?"

"Um, hello," Jason wasn't sure how to react. "I, uh…came to talk to Piper."

The girls looked let down, their shoulders drooping. The Cherokee girl stood and smiled softly at Jason. It was a different kind of smile than the others were giving her. Instead of lascivious, it was…fragile. She led him away from the group, under a tree overlooking the Sound. She made some more hand gestures, likely out of habit. First she pointed directly at her chest, and then made a gesture like she was picking up a glass and then held it to her ear…at least that's what it looked like to Jason.

"Um…" Jason had no idea what she just said. Piper frowned, as if just remembering that the Jason in her memories, the one who knew what that meant, wasn't real. "Leo asked me to give you this," he said, handing her the bag. Perplexed, she took it and opened it.

The first thing she pulled out was a piece of paper. "Gonna meet lots of new people, gonna have to give lots of explanations. Now you can do it anywhere without your voice," it read, in very sloppy English, with smudges and scribbled-out mistakes all over it. Next, she pulled out a pen made of Celestial Bronze. When she clicked it, it seemed to just be a normal pen, though with a golden ink color. Piper looked to Jason expectantly.

"Hey, I don't know," he said. "The guy just told me to give it to you. Maybe…" Jason tried to come up with an explanation, when Piper began waving on the air like she was writing, and the ink stuck like on a page, only it floated in mid-air.

The first thing she wrote was scribbles, because she wasn't aware she was pressing the button where her thumb rested to begin writing in the air. She wiped it away, literally, making the golden ink disperse into particles, and then wrote again, this time using words. 'Weird.' She wrote. She giggled, accidentally making Jason giggle too. 'This literally feels so wrong to do.'

"It looks like it," Jason agreed. "But now, you can talk without those crazy hand signals."

Piper frowned. 'It's called sign language,' she wrote.

"Oh," Jason said, recalling that she'd told him before, on the bus. It seemed like an eternity ago, somehow. "Well…if you don't mind me asking, um…why don't you just talk? I mean, Leo did the thing where you laughed, but…"

'Yeah, he does that to embarrass me sometimes,' Piper wrote.

"Well, he shouldn't. It's not fair."

'It's just a joke,' she argued in defense of it. 'He means well; he just wants to make people laugh more.'

Jason considered this. "I guess…but if he wanted to help people, then he should actually try to help people, you know?"

'Well, maybe you can tell him that yourself,' Piper said. 'But as for why I don't talk,' she hesitated. 'I didn't understand myself until yesterday. A few months back, like since last summer, people just started doing everything I said. At first it was great, but…then I may or may not have asked for a car, and then I may or may not have told the police to forget that I drove both fifteen miles above the limit and when I didn't have my license, and they may or may not have listened.'

"And _why_ did you do those things?" Jason questioned.

'To get my dad's attention,' she wrote. 'Don't ask.'

"But…alright. Continue, please."

Piper smiled, appreciative that he didn't make her explain it. Her dad was…a rocky subject, so to speak. He was a famous actor, so he never had a lot of time for Piper. She tried to make him proud by taking up parts in the plays and musicals her schools had, but it never worked…though that might've been because he never actually attended any of them. He didn't even have enough time to watch the DVDs of the plays, on his own time.

So, when Piper discovered her new power, she decided to…get his attention. She continued writing. 'He wasn't happy; sent me to the Wilderness School where I got to meet you and Leo and' she cut off. 'Never mind.'

Jason saw a twinge of pain in her face for a just a second, before it was quickly covered up by a blank expression. It was Jason's first clue that maybe she did feel something at learning of Jason's being simply placed on that bus.

'Anyway, my cabinmates call it Charmspeak. They said that it was an ability that Aphrodite had, and no one else did. They said it was unnatural, and that it was probably for the best that I didn't use it more.'

"I see…" Jason nodded a few times, trying to think of ways around this. "And it's only when you talk? You can't like point at something and just think it, right?" he wondered. Piper raised an eyebrow, and got a mischievous smirk on her lips. She suddenly jolted up and pointed at the volleyball courts, staring hard at it. Jason rolled his eyes, feeling no urge to go over and bite the volleyball net, or whatever she'd been thinking. "Well, that answers that question."

Piper sat back down and grinned. 'Only when I tell someone to do something. Speaking of, I should probably apologize.'

"For what?" Jason wondered.

'For telling you to catch me, back at the Grand Canyon.'

Jason chuckled. "Piper, you don't need to apologize," he said. "I wanted to catch you, and I knew…" he stopped. He wanted to say he knew everything would work out, but at the time, he didn't know he could fly, or…fly-skate. "I mean, everything worked out, so it's fine."

'You could've been killed, because of me.'

Jason offered her a reassuring smile. "Listen, Piper. If I can save lives, I won't regret anything I do," he claimed, inwardly thinking that that might provide an explanation to how he got his scars; he'd been protecting others. It was a comforting thought, at the very least. Still, the daughter of Aphrodite didn't look entirely convinced. "And you know what? I don't think it was your Charmspeak that made me jump either."

'Okay, we both know that's not true.'

"How do you figure? Your Charmspeak can't be _that_ powerful, right?" Jason asked, realizing he sounded incredibly ignorant in doing so.

'Well, there's a reason I don't talk at all,' she wrote.

Jason looked into her eyes, trying to find whether she was using that strange kind of snarky comedy, or if she was genuinely hurt that he wasn't taking her powers more seriously. He chose to be safe, to think of it as the latter, and he turned out to be correct. "I'm sorry," he said genuinely. "I didn't mean to undermine your issues."

Piper smiled.

"It's strange, but…I think I can understand…I feel like I have this…raging storm inside me, just waiting to find a reason to escape and run wild…"

'You remember something?' she wondered.

"No," Jason chuckled. "It's just a feeling."

'Well, I'll try to be there for you, to help.'

"Then you can count on me as well, Piper," Jason assured. The two shared a brief hug, before going their separate ways in camp.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Too busy to proofread tonight; I'll go back over it later when I have time. Always have time to whip out my phone and check reviews, though, so keep 'em coming! Also...get used to being at camp, we don't leave for a while yet.**

 **EDIT:**

 **Proofread at midnight. And I forgot how character-heavy this chapter was. Expect a lot of that. The first adaptation alone in twenty chapters, less than half of which deal with the quest. I told you guys that this would be a much slower series.**


	5. Hero Of One

Piper found herself rather excited for the bonfire. Her cabinmates said it was generally a good time. Ideally, the cabin's separations were completely torn down, even more so than at the dinners, letting everyone interact with everyone, including normal outsiders like satyrs, who usually did their own thing in the woods, and wood nymphs and other creatures like that.

Then again, 'ideally' was the key word in all of that, and Piper would soon find that the ideal wasn't likely to be met without some kind of intervention.

The first thing she noticed upon entering with Drew was the loner that she didn't entirely recognize, silently eating and reading a book, with a weird flashlight shining on the page. He had this…presence, which was felt throughout the campers. When his sea-green eyes fell on you, you could probably assume something bad was going to happen to you. "Hey there, Percy!" Drew greeted, dragging Piper along. He gave the counselor a short glance, and then looked back down to his book. "Oh come on, that's not called for. Why give someone like me the silent treatment?"

While Percy ignored Piper's counselor, Piper looked to the different sides of the bonfire. On one side was a group of cabins, including Hephaestus, Apollo, and most of the minor gods' children. On the other was the rest of Aphrodite, and basically everyone else, like Athena and Ares. The latter, as it was clear to Piper, were those who liked Percy, while the former were those who didn't like him.

Piper scowled. " _Is this guy_ really _so important? Get over it,"_ she thought. She didn't realize Drew had left her, after introducing her, alone with Percy.

"You shouldn't frown; you're face'll get stuck like that," he said, bored.

Piper blinked, focusing on Percy. She took out the magic pen that Leo had made her, and wrote. 'Are you speaking from experience?'

Percy frowned. "I can't read that," he said blankly, confusing Piper as she'd just seen him reading. "Write it in Greek," he ordered. She felt compelled to do so, but she didn't know how. She shrugged. Percy sighed, reaching into his coat pocket, pulling out the weird flashlight from earlier. He shone it on her writing, and it transformed before her eyes. She recognized the words, they were exactly what she wrote, but they were in Greek. "…No," he said in response to the words. Piper must've looked interested. "It was from Daedalus' Workshop," he said briefly of the flashlight. "Even the greatest Greek inventor needed a translator, so he invented that. We, ah…procured it when we may or may not have raided his place and then destroyed it."

Piper wasn't sure how to respond.

"So, are you just gonna stand there all night?" he questioned. Piper noticed there was a seat available, across from his, and she took it reluctantly, looking around and seeing some of the Percy-opposers boring into her. Leo, whom she noticed on that side, didn't even see her, and was playing pranks on his cabinmates and having a good time. In fact, most people were having a good time; Piper just _felt_ like they were all watching her.

'Can I ask what the divide is about?' Piper wrote. Percy hovered over with his light to read it.

"It's complicated and sad; not good for dinnertime conversation."

'I'm not hungry,' Piper insisted. 'My cabinmates say not to associate with certain other cabins. I want to know why.'

Percy studied Piper for a minute, before relenting. "Did Drew tell you about the Titan War?" Piper nodded. "Well, to emphasize; it was a big deal. And, because of me, both Silena and Beckendorf, two really close friends of mine, were killed, along with Michael Yew, and many, many others. Or at least, that's how the Hephaestus cabin sees it."

'Is that not true?'

"No, it isn't, but they don't believe me," Percy shrugged. "The truth is that Beckendorf volunteered to die, literally, and Silena sacrificed herself for the Olympians, to make up for the fact that she was a traitor. The Hephaestus cabin thinks I left their counselor to die, and that…hell, I don't even know, maybe that I just wasn't the right person to lead us. Now _that_ I can agree with."

Piper hesitated. 'You don't sound very broken up about it.'

The son of Poseidon shrugged again. "Eh, screw 'em," he said.

'Fitting for a Hero-of-One,' Piper wrote. When Percy read it, he scowled at her. 'Drew told me that-' she didn't finish.

"Let me put it this way," his voice got a new edge to it, like he was ready to draw his blade at any time. "So long as they're alive, I don't give a damn what they think of me. At the end of the day, we're Greeks; we fight as Greeks. So long as that can happen, whatever they think is their business."

Piper didn't write anything else. She could see why he was avoided, even by those who liked him. He was…dangerous; it was abundantly clear that he was a violent individual. Now, whether or not he could consistently control that violent tendency, Piper would come to figure out and learn from in the coming weeks.

Piper stood and went over to her cabinmates, unsure of what to make of the brief interaction. She wouldn't get much time to dwell on it, however, as Chiron came into the pavilion and clopped to the center. He raised his hands, and slowly waited for the chatter to die down. "Thank you, children. I take it we're all having a jolly evening?" cheers sounded, and goblets were raised. "Wonderful. Before I let you return to your festivities, I would like to make a few announcements. First, the week has ended, of course, and we have new friends to introduce. All newcomers, please stand."

Piper rose, along with Leo on the opposite side. A few other campers did as well, most looking younger than them, along with Jason. " _Shit!"_ she cursed herself. " _Forgot to give his scarf back again…"_

"Welcome," Chiron said, with some minor applause coming from the crowd of demigods. Once Piper saw the others begin to sit, she sat herself. Chiron continued. "Now then, onto business."

"When's the next round of Capture-The-Flag?" an Ares kid called out. Murmurs of agreement began to rise from the crowd of teenagers.

Chiron raised his arms to quiet the campers down. "Unfortunately, we are still unable to participate in our regularly scheduled games. Speaking of which, however, Hephaestus cabin, I believe we would all like an update on the 'dragon problem."

Nyssa stood and cleared her throat. It was painfully obvious that she was uncomfortable speaking in front of all of these people. "W-well, we haven't yet been able to locate the mechanical dragon, but-"

"What?"

"Still?"

"What's taking so long?"

Nyssa flinched. "We're…we're starting to try new methods of tracking it, but it's been slow going, and-"

"Could you hurry it up?"

"Camp is getting boring without the competition."

"Enough," Chiron called over the complaints. "You have heard the progress report, whining will not speed up the process," he turned to the young daughter of Hephaestus gingerly. "Nyssa, is there nothing we can do to help?"

"No," she said, her voice turning resolute. Her cabinmates stood along with her. "This is our problem; we'll fix it."

"Tch, yeah," Drew said quietly, to the other Aphrodite campers. "And 'your problem' is messing up every aspect of camp life."

Those who heard it giggled a bit. "Do you know an approximate area where the dragon may be?" someone spoke up. When the campers looked, it was Jason.

"Um…yeah, it's somewhere in the woods, but that's still-"

"Try setting traps," Jason suggested. "Set them all over the woods. Eventually it'll get caught, right?"

"We tried that, but…" Nyssa hesitated, as Jason didn't buy the lie. "Even if we tried, anything we'd build would just blow up."

"I can vouch for that," Leo piped up, only to have his older cabinmates force him to the back.

"Alright, then what if we all send search parties? Make it a group effort," A few campers snickered at the idea. Others just ignored it.

Piper took out her pen. 'It seems like a good idea. Why won't anybody stand up for it?' she wrote, showing to Drew. Nobody said anything, even in the time it took her to read it. Jason tried to add more to the idea, saying how the cabins could be split and mixed to cover weaknesses in ability, but nobody was biting.

"Because Percy already suggested it," Drew whispered back. "Just wait for it."

"No," Nyssa cut Jason off from explaining further. "This is _our_ problem. Either we solve it, or it doesn't get solved."

Piper raised an eyebrow, looking over to the son of Poseidon, who was engrossed in his book and not paying attention. " _Yeah, they_ definitely _fight as Greeks, and_ not _as individual cabins,"_ she thought, though in the back of her mind, she felt like she might have been missing something in what he'd said. Jason knew when to give up the battle, and he sat back down without saying anything else. Piper gave him a sympathetic look, and he saw it, but turned away, dejected. " _Gods, but he's trying,"_ she thought. " _He thinks he doesn't belong and still he's trying to help."_

Then she looked to Leo, was sitting down again with his cabinmates, tapping his leg methodically. Piper found herself paying close attention to his taps.

For all of his teasing, Leo seemed to understand Piper's lack of speech. He'd taught her Morse Code to help her communicate without her voice, and she'd picked up sign language soon after. He was repeating two words. Short, long, pause. Short, short, short, pause. Long, short, long, stop. Next word. Long, pause. Short, short, short, short, pause. Short, pause. Long, long, stop. Repeat.

Ask them.

Piper wanted to stand up for the idea, like Leo was telling her to do. In fact, she knew she could convince camp to work together on this, but she didn't. Leo stole a glance at Piper, and saw her shaking her head lightly. She tapped back. Long, pause. Long, long, long, pause. Long, long, long, stop. Next word. Short, short, short, pause. Long, short, long, short, pause. Short, long, pause. Short, long short, pause. Short, pause. Long short, short, stop.

Too scared.

She closed her eyes; she could feel Leo's stare, his expectancy. " _I_ can't _,"_ she thought. " _I'm sorry, but we'll work it out some other way, but not with Charmspeak. They could get hurt."_

Still, Piper ran through what might happen if she told them all to "go to the woods, find the dragon, and capture the dragon." Most of them would be fine, but those that would find it probably wouldn't be prepared, and because Piper never told them to run, they'd stay and get slaughtered. If she said to run, then they might run into unprepared groups or back into camp with unarmed campers and satyrs and spirits, not to mention the damage to the structures that would occur.

" _No, I can't trust it…"_

So, Chiron went through just a few more things, including how many campers to expect this coming week; six more. That was two less than this week. Drew had told Piper that it was usually between six and nine, with the most they've had, after the initial burst, was twelve in a week, and lowest was five. Piper hadn't been particularly interested in the information, but Drew just _loved_ to hear herself talk.

Anyway, once Chiron was done, the campers returned to their festivities, with bleachers being setup, and the bonfire rising due to offerings to the gods. Drew said it used to be they offered every night before dinner, but now they'd relaxed. She didn't give a reason, but Piper suspected it had to do with Percy; he seemed to be the center of the universe here at camp.

Piper offered all of her mashed potatoes, because they weren't the good kind, to her mother, praying that she wouldn't put Piper in that hideous dress ever again. For just a moment, when Piper offered the food, she felt a wave of sadness from the flames, which made absolutely no sense to Piper after the fact. Feeling sadness? From a flame? Yeah right.

The girl blinked, but then left as if nothing had happened, assuming it'd been a fluke.

xxxXXXxxx

"Remind me again what we're doing?" Leo questioned as he was dragged through camp by Jason. It was the day after the bonfire, and Jason had figured out his favor to Leo, without Leo's consent, apparently. Leo found himself at the edge of the woods, and pushed into it.

"We're going to catch the dragon," he said. "If the whole camp won't do it, then I figure we can appease them by having you fix it."

"You mean you make me fix it," Leo corrected. "Do you even know what the 'dragon problem' is?"

"Yeah, I asked around," Jason said. "Some people say it was a failed experiment, and others say it was a success. It's a Celestial Bronze dragon, right? And it's hiding somewhere in these woods."

"So they say, but I wouldn't be too sure that it's hiding," Leo said. Jason urged him to continue. "Nyssa says that they first learned of it when it suddenly came out of the woods and attacked camp. Then it retreated into the woods and hasn't been seen since."

"Okay, so? Doesn't that mean it's hiding?"

"Or it might just be that it made the woods its territory."

"Okay…" Jason didn't sound entirely convinced. "But what would it hunt?"

Leo shrugged. "Maybe the Greeks found a way to convert animal or monster meat directly into mechanical energy?" was his only guess. "And hey, I've got no clue if my theory is right. I just don't think it's hiding."

The two delved deeper into the woods. Leo found himself in awe of it. The closest thing he'd seen to this kind of wildlife had been on the Discovery Channel. Soon, they got lost. "Um…didn't we already pass this grove?" Jason wondered.

"No, because there's no mark," Leo check the other side of the trunk of one of the tree he passed. "Oh, wait, never mind. Which way did we just come from?"

"This way?" Jason wondered, though he didn't see a mark on the tree. He turned to his left, and saw a few marks, and then to his right, and saw some marks heading that way as well. "We…probably should've brought a map."

"Yeah, probably," Leo said. Jason suddenly froze. "What?"

"Sh!" Jason ordered. "Get down!"

The two ducked low and hung close to the tree. It took a moment for Leo to focus on it over the ambient noises of the woods, but he heard footsteps, heavy footsteps, along with a signature creaking sound which Leo had heard in the broken Celestial Bronze toys in the Hephaestus cabin and the forge. The footsteps gradually grew heavier and louder; it was coming toward them.

Leo's heart stopped from terror when he first laid eyes on it. It was a massive ten-meter-long dragon. Each plate which made up its surface looked jagged, like it could cut through skin just by brushing up against it. Its eyes were this…horrible, monstrous red, light a bloody searchlight. If it saw you, it wouldn't hesitate before it maimed you.

"Oh…oh gods…" Leo murmured.

"Sh," Jason repeated, trying to control his own breathing. "We should move," he said quietly. "Try and hide in the brush."

Leo stopped listening, too engulfed in his own fear. He wanted to run, he _had_ to run. But his body wouldn't move, like it was lead. Jason peaked around the corner, to see if the coast was clear, when he noticed something.

"It doesn't have wings," he noted. "Why?" Jason shook his head. The dragon was turned away. "Alright, here's the plan. I'm gonna distract it, but you're gonna have to find a way to control it. Maybe on its back or something there might be some controls," he relayed his plan. "Are you with me so far?" no response. "Leo?" Jason turned to see the boy staring at the ground, his eyes bulged out in terror his body stiff, rigid, unmoving except for shaky breaths. " _By gods, he's scared stiffless…"_ Jason thought. The dragon suddenly turned toward them, and began approaching further. " _It can't smell fear, right? Not literally?"_

It ultimately didn't matter how it detected them. Jason sensed the danger a second before it happened, and shoved both Leo and himself to the ground, right before a claw ripped through the tree they were hiding behind. Jason made a dash, distracting it.

"Leo, get out of here!" he called, taking out Ivlivs and flipping it. He drew the spear, which Jason was thankful for, as he could more easily ward off the long-reaching swipes of the dragon. "I'll draw it away; go get some more campers!"

Within just a moment, Jason and the dragon were gone.

Slowly, Leo regained control of his movements, and he began cursing himself almost immediately. "Damn it!" he cursed. "I let Jason go off alone!"

He was so frozen that he didn't even remember which way they went. Leo dashed off into a random direction, following obvious tracks of the mechanical beast, and hoped they were leading where it went rather than where it came from. He tried not to think of what he would do once he found it.

Well, he did have _that_ , but he definitely wasn't going to use it. It probably would've been useless in that situation anyway. Even still, when he mentally refused to use it, his body started to steam. "No!" he snapped at himself, and soon the steam faded.

It turned out that Leo had been following the wrong tracks, and he soon came to this…place. It was hard to describe and easy at the same time. It _looked_ like just a regular building, perfectly square from the outside, made of what looked like cement. The difficult part was how it almost looked like it had just kind of sprouted from the ground. The grass and dirt around it seemed like it was just pushed through by the structure, with parts protruding higher, right up against the building. Even the door was blocked off by a higher area of ground.

Leo had to stomp it down to open the door, and when he did, he was immediately hit with a wave of dust, causing him to cough loudly. "What the hell?" Leo wondered. "Some kind of bunker?" Upon entering the structure, Leo found an especially thick layer of dust lining the floors and tables. "Doesn't look like it's been used for ages…"

The son of Hephaestus shuffled deeper into the building, noticing a large banner on one wall which was labelled "Bunker 9" in faded bubble letters. It looked like it was written in crayon, though Leo suspected that it was because it was all they'd had at the time they'd made it.

Leo found a whole lot of notebooks with different sketches which looked extremely outdated to him. He saw a pair of goggles which stuck out to him for some reason. It was odd how he was drawn to the pair. He picked it up and dusted it off, seeing that they were no ordinary goggles, but rather half goggles and half binoculars, from the outside. After a bit more dusting off, Leo strapped them to his head, and found they fit comfortably without adjustment.

When seeing through them, Leo saw everything. These were clearly altered by some outside force, as there was no way whoever built this place had access to this kind of tech back when it was built. When Leo's eyes focused on something, it would tell him what it was and what elements made it. When he looked at a paper with words on it, it automatically translated it into multiple languages, including what looked like Russian, Italian, German, the ever-present Greek, Latin, and Spanish, Leo's preferred language from his mother's side.

He found himself calm when looking around through them; it showed him how things were, how he could work with them. When he removed the goggles, resting them on his forehead, still strapped onto his head, Leo noticed how dead the bunker actually was, with none of the information the goggles had given him, or so he thought.

Leo would have been fine looking around forever, but it turned out that he wasn't alone inside this strange place. Soon enough, Leo heard the familiar creaking that accompanied the dragon upon its arrival. The demigod turned and saw glowing red eyes staring right at him. Leo froze.

It wasn't a dragon that was staring at him, however. Instead, it looked like a mix between a bull and a tiger, but it was just as large as the previous mechanical beast. Leo dashed out of the bunker at full speed. The new monster burst through the wall, chasing after him. Leo screamed, unable to form a coherent sentence anymore. His brain had only one thought worth having: run.

xxxXXXxxx

Percy decided to take a break from the arena today. It wasn't that he was bored, but it was nice to have a change of pace every now and again. Today he decided to take Agro out for a spin, just to make sure the Pegasus was still in top form.

After the nasty hit he took during the Titan war, Percy was surprised at how quickly he recovered. Now, just a few short months later and Agro is back up in the skies again. "You're getting along pretty well, aren't you?" Percy asked the animal.

"Of _course, you should expect nothing less of royalty,_ " Agro claimed.

Percy had expected to spend an entire day up here, Agro's limits after his injury, but, of course, nothing ever worked out like that. Instead, he saw a commotion coming from down below. At first, it was just a glint in his vision, but as Percy looked closer, he saw that it was a gigantic mechanical dragon. Percy sighed.

" _What?_ " Riptide wondered. " _It looks like fun, don't you think?_ "

"It does," Percy admitted. "But it being here means that someone royally fucked up," he said, taking Riptide out.

" _Allow me to join you,"_ Agro suggested.

"No," Percy said. "I'm not having you push yourself too hard just yet."

" _You underestimate me, Percy Jackson!"_ Agro whinnied defiantly.

Percy chuckled. "Just give it time, man," he said, slipping off and falling down toward the dragon.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason had run the wrong way. He knew this when he emerged from the woods and back into camp, where a dozen campers, including Grover and a few wood nymphs, and Piper, who, at the time, was away from her cabinmates, looked at him dumbfounded as he was tailed closely by a giant mechanical dragon. It hesitated upon seeing other demigods, and Jason took the time to use.

He pointed to a few groups of demigods in turn. "You four, I want you to get a proper fighting force. You three, B formation to keep it away from structures and civs. The rest of you, on me!" he ordered, right as the dragon attacked.

Jason weaved through its claws, just barely, and tried to make distance. He put himself between the others and it as they got into formation, but they should've reacted quicker. " _Odd…"_ Jason thought, peering back and seeing them just staring at him. " _Why aren't they…wait, why did I expect them to know what I was talking about?"_ Jason thought.

He wouldn't get much time to think about it. Jason warded off the dragon's attacks in much the same way as he did the ventus', with his wind. Only this time it was much more difficult, as the dragon was heavier (metal vs. wind) and larger. Still, Jason got off without a scratch and nobody else was harmed either.

Jason wouldn't be fighting alone for long, however. He managed to push the dragon back. It hesitated again, as if debating with itself over whether it should retreat or not. " _Damn…don't know if I can hold out for much longer…"_ Jason thought. " _At least not without back-up…"_ he looked and saw that some people had left. He hoped it was to get help.

The dragon charged, and Jason readied his spear. It never made contact with Jason, however. Instead, it spewed fire. Yes, fire. It was a scorching flame, white hot, and Jason wasn't prepared for it. He tried to build up winds to ward it away, but it would never be fast enough.

Before it made it to him, however, a massive burst of water crashed down between them, and shot out to drench the dragon, putting out its flames. A figure landed between Jason and the dragon. "Percy…" Jason stepped forward.

The man held a hand out behind him. "Stay back," he warned, almost…protectively. "Make sure no one comes within reach of its flames. It shot from twenty yards away, keep them at least that far."

"You don't think you can take that thing on by yourself, do you?" Jason questioned. "It could-"

"I'm aware of what it can do," Percy said calmly. "Now do what I asked so no one gets hurt."

" _He makes it sound like he won't get hurt himself,"_ Jason thought. He was about to argue further, as it was suicide to fight it alone, when it attacked.

Percy took the hits head-on, parrying each in turn with his sword, barely moving an inch, and not taking even a single step back, even with the massive force from the blows. In fact, Percy took a step forward, shoving a palm into the bronze dragon's side, after it swiped, and knocked it four or five yards away.

Jason's brain went hazy, dumbfounded at seeing this man handle this so easily. He looked around, and found that he didn't need to ward off the others. Across the way, Jason saw a group of campers, led by Winona, break for the armory, so help would arrive in a few minutes. Unfortunately, help would arrive for the dragon before it would arrive for the campers.

"Aaahhhh!" Leo came blasting out of the woods, followed by a giant tiger-bear thing, which was as big as the dragon and a bit bulkier as well. Jason was about to help Leo, but Percy had it handled.

He took one look at the new challenger and shot his free hand toward it, a tendril of water shooting out and wrapping around its leg. Percy tugged and made it trip, which allowed Leo time to escape it. The dragon had taken advantage, and was approaching the group of on-lookers. Percy acted fast, using his water whip to knock away the campers, before bringing it back to whip the dragon's head to where its fire breath was blown towards Percy, who ducked under it.

At this point, both of the machines' attention was on the son of Poseidon, but given his display of dominance over them, they were understandably hesitant to attack. Percy smashed his fist into his chest in challenge. "Come on!" he dared them to attack. They both charged and swiped down at Percy.

He took one attack head-on, avoiding the claws of the dragon and holding its hand back with his arm, using his sword to hold back the other machine's blow. With a roar of exertion, Percy force them both back slightly. He blasted the beast away with a jet of water and then parried the swipes of the dragon, before coming up into a straight uppercut to its jaw.

" _Odd…that should've shattered his hand…"_ Jason found himself thinking, seeing that Percy used it even after hitting the dragon's face.

The dragon landed near where Leo had stopped, or where he caught up with Grover. He jumped when it did, still terrified of the thing. But then it creaked, and it sounded almost…pleading. It clawed its way to stand, and turned its head toward the woods in an almost longing gesture. Leo froze when it turned back to him, acknowledged him, and then was forced back into the fray by Percy. "It's…it's scared…" he muttered. He looked to the other beast, who was fighting with no regard. "The dragon is different…somehow…"

Now he was insanely curious as to why, and how, the dragon functioned, that it had the higher brain functions of fear and longing was intriguing. Slowly, Leo's fear was overpowered by his curiosity. He slipped on his goggles to help with this, hoping…yes. When he focused on the dragon, it showed the different parts, what each contained, and even its power source's location.

"So, it's in the head after all, and not like the heart or something," Leo muttered. The dragon was blasted out of sight, however, by Percy, who was completely destroying the two machines like they were scrap metal. Leo burst to his feet.

"You got something?" Grover questioned. Leo nodded.

Leo saw Percy about to rend through the dragon's hide. "Wait!" Leo called, but it was too late. The dragon reared back from the hit. Jason saw Leo wave his arms frantically, trying to stop Percy. He acted on instinct, using his wind to steer the mechanical beast away from Percy's attack.

The son of Poseidon glared at Jason, as if saying 'why are you getting in my way?'

"Don't kill it!" Leo pleaded. Percy gave the boy an incredulous look, and then turned back to Jason.

"If Leo says so, that's good enough for me."

Percy considered this, blocking a strike from the tiger-bear as he did. He pushed the beast back slightly, and then water shot up from the nearby Sound, and blasted into the dragon, sending it flying back into the woods. "All yours," he said, before going to work on the tiger-bear. Leo ran toward the woods.

"Leo, I-"

"I've got this," Leo assured Jason, clearly not thinking straight. Grover put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll look after him," he assured. "Keep the others safe, though, aight man?"

Grover didn't wait for an answer, just clopped after Leo.

The tiger-bear seemed to notice that it was losing and that its partner had been knocked out of the battle. It ran. Percy dashed after it, deactivating Riptide before he did. With only one opponent, finishing it would be quick and easy. Using his water, Percy was able to keep up and cut off the mechanical beast. It reared back, not expecting a demigod to be able to keep up with it. Percy blasted it away, into the Sound.

Most metal would sink and rust, but Celestial Bronze didn't rust and Percy was too impatient for that anyway. He shot himself into the air above it and blasted it with water, and then willed the Sound to blast it back up, where Percy blasted it again and so on until there was a continuous stream of water blasts from both sides, all scalding shots which sent waves of steam out. Each blast sent shockwaves through the air, the force of the impacts enough to displace the sand beneath Jason's feet and make him off-balance.

Percy shot himself downward and dive-kicked the machine into the water, which of course bounced it back up , which Percy willed it to happen.

He then built up power within himself as he landed, standing on the surface like it was nothing. His right hand, closed in a fist, emanated with power, a shining sea-green light pouring from it. Percy tossed it, a massively condensed ball of water, into the air, leapt up, and spiked it straight at the mechanical monstrosity, with it exploding in a giant burst of energy. The beast was dead.

Percy took a deep breath when he saw the remains of the machine sink into the Sound, relaxing his body. "…Maybe I went a bit overboard…?" he wondered. He shrugged. "Agro!" he called, with a black Pegasus swooped down to greet him.

Jason heard footsteps behind him, and saw Winona arrive with a dozen armed campers, ready to fight. "Where's the threat?" she questioned. Jason didn't have the words, just pointed at Percy, climbing onto his Pegasus and gliding lazily into the sky. "…He already took care of it?" Jason nodded. Winona sighed. "Alright, boys, false alarm…Sherman, don't whine or so help me I'll kick your jewels again!" the group shuffled away.

xxxXXXxxx

Leo found the dragon creaking and struggling to stand. Upon first seeing it, and its red, lifeless eyes locking onto him, Leo froze again, but when he saw it plop back down to the ground, he saw that it was too injured, or…broken? It couldn't fight anymore.

"So, what's the play?" Grover asked. Leo just noticed that he'd followed.

"I'm gonna…I'm gonna fix him," Leo said quietly, unsure of himself. He slipped his new goggles on.

"Him?"

"I figure he's got enough sense to count as more than an 'it'," Leo said. "Hey there…" he inched closer to the dragon. It made something of a growl, but it sounded weak. "I'm not gonna hurt you, dummy."

Grover chuckled, seeing Leo so scared of this now-harmless machine. "Go on," Grover pushed Leo closer. The son of Hephaestus stumbled a bit before catching himself.

His face was a few feet away from the dragon's face, and he hadn't tried to kill him yet. Good signs. "Alright…I'm just gonna…" he didn't finish, just climbed onto his neck. His goggles showed him where to take the plate off to access its main control panel and wiring for its higher brain functions.

When Leo finally got it off, after some yanking and effort, he saw a jigsaw puzzle. Dozens of interconnected wires protruded haphazardly in every direction. Thankfully, many wires were conveniently labelled, but most of the lettering was faded and blotchy. "Oh, I see…" he muttered. "I get it; you're malfunctioning, aren't you? You're not designed to hurt us."

"Find something cool?" Grover wondered, moving to look. "Whoa…yeah, that's all you man."

Leo nodded. "Some of the wires are severed. I could weld them back together, but…I'd need tools," Leo said. "but…if the campers find him, they might attack."

"I can stay and make sure they don't," Grover offered.

"They might attack before they see you," Leo said, noting the dragon's size.

"Well…then what are we gonna do?"

Leo had an idea. "…You have to make me a promise."

"Sure, shoot," Grover said, without hesitation. That made Leo nervous.

"You can't tell _anybody_ about this," Leo said, taking the two wires and connection them physically. The son of Hephaestus hadn't tried this since he was a little kid, when he accidentally lost control and burned down his mother's workshop. She couldn't find work after that, and she died of disease shortly after. That was when Leo was sent away, where he ran until he was caught and went to the Wilderness School.

Leo flicked his wrist and rubbed his fingers together, and soon, smoke rose from them. Then, with another flick, Leo's hand was ablaze. Grover stepped back, cautious of the fire; it was the death of nature, after all.

Leo focused, ignoring the nervous creaks of the dragon, trying to retain control. He moved the fire to his two fingers, and then pinched the connection of the wires, searing them together. The circuits whirred to life when he did, and the dragon creaked happily. It stood with Leo on its back. The motion shook Leo's concentration, and his fire went out. "Who-oa!" Leo hung on for dear life as Grover climbed on behind him.

"Bro…that was _amazing_ ," the satyr said. As the dragon began moving. "Where's it taking us?"

"I think…I think he's taking us to his home," Leo said, his heart still racing and his voice still shaky from the experience of both the fire and the mechanical attack.

"Which is…where exactly?"

"In the woods," Leo said. "He's taking us back to Bunker 9."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay, so one thing that really annoyed me upon re-reading The Lost Hero was that the lost trio went on the quest like within a day of arriving. I'm like...no way in hell would that happen so conveniently. So, it doesn't. A few days pass, maybe even a few weeks, in my version.**

 **Anyway, side note for the guy who reviewed as a guest and I would like to respond to, I disagree that Frank and Hazel were better than Piper and Jason; they were both recycled ideas; a child of the god of the underworld from the 40s who was suddenly reintroduced to the world. And a child of the god of war who eventually has a rage moment where he gains his father's blessing to defeat a threat that no one else could combat, at least at the time (the drakon and those weird smokey fart monsters from House of Hades). You could argue that Jason was a repeated idea, but then you could say the same of Thalia, who was also the favorite of her father, just like Percy was. And Piper...I'll admit that she didn't have much to her, but she had _something_ interesting and useful in her Charmspeak, even if I didn't like how Riordan handled it. If you wish to discuss further, because I basically live for this kind of debate, feel free to make a free account and PM me.**

 **Anyway, with the thing over, don't forget to review, and I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	6. Even Now It Hurts

Leo and Grover were taken back to the Bunker, as Leo predicted. When they arrived, the dragon stepped on a massive pressure plate, which opened a kind of garage door, allowing it entry. "Why didn't we ever notice this?" Grover wondered.

"Maybe it only sprang up recently?" Leo guessed. "Maybe because of a built-in timer?"

"This place doesn't look like it's seen any action in decades," Grover noted. "Who sets a timer decades in advance?"

"Dunno, maybe former demigods," Leo said it like it was obvious. Grover nodded. The two slipped off of the dragon's neck as it came to rest, laying on a pad that might've been where it was built.

"There anything with a date in here?" the satyr and the demigod began rifling through the endless plans and schematics that were lying around.

"Found one," Leo said. "I'm reading…1864? Maybe? The six is a little faded, but…wasn't that during the Civil War? Has camp been around that long?"

Grover chuckled. "It's been around _way_ longer than that, man," he said. "Camp Half-Blood is old enough to have trained Washington, and that's just while it was here and not in England, or further back to when it was still at the base of the OG Olympus."

"Okay…but why the Civil War? I'd think demigods try to stay out of mortal wars, right?" Leo reasoned. Grover shook his head. "I mean, because this is so obviously a military bunker, and that, over there," Leo pointed. "Looks like a nuclear test room. I'm sure they weren't experimenting wit stuff like that, eighty years early no less, for fun. Well, _I_ would, but-"

"Demigods _have_ been known to fight mortal wars. Washington was a son of Athena, and he was a great general of the revolution," Grover noted.

"Well, technically he lost at Fort Necessity," Leo corrected. Grove raised an eyebrow. "What? I paid attention in history…a little bit…"

"Right. So, Lee, what's the play? Did you fix the dragon?"

"No," Leo said. "I think all I did was made it so he stops leaving this place."

"Alright, problem solved, then," Grover said. "It'll stay here and camp can go back to normal."

"But I want to _fix_ him," Leo argued. "Plus the solution is only temporary; problem not solved."

"Alright…so then the plan is to fix him, then? How long will that take?"

Leo shrugged. "No clue."

"Perfect."

"He's not stupid; he can think and feel. I want to figure out how, and I want to restore his higher function too," Leo stepped toward the dragon and put a hand on his snout. His eyes had blinked off, so Leo assumed he was in a state equivalent to sleep.

"What's his name?"

"Hm?"

"His name?" Grover repeated. "If he has that higher function, you'd think whoever built him would've given him a name, right?"

The two ruffled through a few more papers, but came up with nothing. "Well…I guess we could give him one."

"Alright, whatcha got?"

"Um…what's the Greek word for 'happy'?"

"Eftychisménos," Grover said. Leo scrunched up his nose.

"Ew, Greek is such a terrible language."

"Excuse you," Grover was mock-offended.

"Alright, what about in Roman?"

"Eh? You mean Latin?"

"Yeah, that."

"…Why?" Grover questioned.

"Because it would make Jason happy; he's calling the gods by their Roman names, isn't he?"

"Um…I think it's Festus?" Grover guessed.

"That sounds about right," Leo said, accepting the answer.

"Alright," Grover put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Then let's get to fixing Festus."

xxxXXXxxx

The emergency bonfire that was held that night was a very turbulent one, with Jason being the clear focus. The Hephaestus campers were trying desperately to get to him, specifically to kick the crap out of him, whereas the Aphrodite campers and Ares and Athena campers holding them back and keeping Jason within their sphere.

Piper inched her way to Jason and pulled out her pen. 'What did you do?' she wrote.

"I…may or may not have ignored when the Vulcan-sorry, Hephaestus cabin said not to bother with the dragon," he said, turning away, embarrassed.

'Smooth,' Piper responded, looking around. 'Shouldn't Chiron or Percy try and get control the situation?'

"I think Percy went back to his house, and isn't here. I have no idea what Chiron is doing," Jason replied. Piper couldn't be sure, but it almost looked like Jason was angry at that fact. Her suspicions were confirmed when the son of Zeus continued. "It's disgraceful; that these trained demigods would act out so brashly because of this…foolish individualism between the cabins."

Piper furrowed her brow, confused. 'Percy said that they fight as Greeks, not as cabins,' she pointed out, even as she wasn't entirely convinced herself. Jason scoffed; an action that she never thought she'd see from him.

"That's not how they acted today. They just stood there until Percy showed up and saved the day," he said, almost bitterly. "I mean, I'm not saying I would abdicate for forced discipline, but you'd think with all of the combat training they'd respond a bit faster to a dangerous situation, right?"

"Greeks have never reacted all that well to crises," Winona said, overhearing his grievances. "Back when the Titans began their coup, it took the death of Artemis to get them to actually start preparing."

" _Yeah, so_ that's _still hard to wrap my head around…"_ Jason thought. Then something hit his head. It was a brick, thrown by an angry Hephaestus camper. Jason fell to the ground, not expecting the blow. He blinked a couple of times, trying to get his bearings. Piper and Winona had knelt down beside him, and Winona's hand was glowing close to his eye.

Jason stood. "Hey, are you alright?" Winona questioned. Jason nodded.

"It isn't the first time I've been hit in the head," he said.

"Get him out of here!" Nyssa yelled; she'd been the one to throw the brick. "He ruined it!"

Jason stepped forward, about to confront the Hephaestus campers directly, try to solve this before it got out of hand. Winona held him back. "Relax; they'll get it out of their system eventually. That thing is still out there, right?"

"Leo went after it…" Jason muttered. "And he hasn't come back…he could be dead…"

"If you _really_ thought that, you'd be out looking for him," Winona noted. Jason gave her an incredulous look. "What? You're not that hard to read, Grace."

Piper remained quiet, as she carefully considered her options. " _Just…talk to them,"_ she told herself. She looked around, looking for any alternative. Jason was told to stay quiet. She was about to suggest that he lie, but she could guess that he wouldn't be up for the idea.

Still, something had to be done, or else this would go on forever and nothing would get done. Piper opened her mouth to speak, fully prepared to use her powers, as she saw no possible way for the words 'it wasn't Jason's fault' to lead to their harm…unled they then decided to go after the dragon hastily, and then got hurt…

That hesitation was just enough to allow a new person to enter the scene. A deafening roar was heard from above them, causing everyone to duck and cover. To be fair, they had a good reason to, at first glance. At first, it was just a flash of bronze, but everyone quickly realized that it was the dragon that they'd all been stressing over. "Never fear!" an impish boy slid off, with goggles placed over his eyes like some kind of silly mask. A satyr also fell off, landing close to the boy. "Leo is here!" the son of Hephaestus announced.

The others didn't look so relieved, scrambling to make a formation of some kind. "Leo, run! It'll burn you alive!" Jason called over the chaos, flipping Ivlivs and drawing a sword.

"No, he won't," Leo said calmly, petting the dragon's side and pulling the goggles to his forehead.

"Just…" Jason cautiously inched toward his friend and reached for him. "Just come here so we can-"

Jason didn't finish, but was interrupted by the dragon's screech. The sound was piercing, and quickly silenced the room. "Phew, alright, thanks, buddy," Leo pat the dragon's side again.

"Leo…is that…did you…?" Nyssa stepped forward.

"Yep!" Leo gave a thumbs up. "He's all fixed!"

"But…how?"

"I found this really cool bunker out in the woods," Leo's eyes lit up; Jason could figure he was about to talk some techno-jargon.

Piper quickly reworked her plan, even though her part seemed to be the same with or without Leo.

Jason cleared his throat. "Well…allow me to make a formal apology, for leading you-"

Piper slapped his arm suddenly, and spoke. Her voice was strong, and confident. Inwardly, her insides were turning, and she was praying to her mother, whoever the god of luck was, and whoever the god of making-Piper-not-suck was. "See, I _told_ you it would work out fine to go along with Leo's plan," she said, grinning. The other's shifted, their eyes glazing over as she altered their memories. The sight made Piper gag; she could _feel_ their minds twisting and turning, like she was stabbing their brains and twisting the knife. She quickly regained herself. "But you wanted to take the credit, to take the blame for him if it went wrong."

Even Jason seemed to be fooled, though she could feel his mind tugging, trying to retain control. "I…did?" he wondered. "Y-yeah, I did, I guess. Sorry for doubting you, man," he held out a hand for the Hephaestus boy. Leo slapped him on the back jovially.

"You gotta put more faith in me, Jace!" he exclaimed.

Grover cleared his throat. "Um, Leo, aren't you going to introduce our new friend?"

"Oh, right! Ladies and gentleman, and whatever Piper is," she rolled her eyes. "Allow me to introduce; Festus the dragon!"

Festus roared proudly, with it sounding like a cross between an actual roar and gears grinding. The campers clapped, seeming to almost accept it.

"Festus?" Jason questioned.

"Yeah, I thought it'd make you 'happy'," Leo nudged him. "Get it?"

"Um…" Jason _didn't_ get it. "Festus doesn't mean 'happy' in Latin, it's making reference to festivities," he explained. "If you were going to name the dragon 'happy' in Latin, it would've been Felix."

Leo frowned. "Felix? No way; that's a dumb name. From now on, Festus is gonna mean 'happy'!"

"Eh, the most popular online personality has the name Felix, so…" Grover mentioned.

"Whatever. So hey, is this a bonfire or what?!" Leo pumped his fist up in the air, and everyone cheered. The crowd soon dispersed, though the divide between the two sides remained. Piper took Jason's hand and pulled him so they could talk with relative privacy.

"Hm? What's up?" Jason wondered.

Piper took out her pen and began writing. She had curled up into a ball, burying her face in the scarf. " _Shit!"_ she cursed herself. 'Forgot to give this back,' she wrote, beginning to take it off. Jason caught her arm before she did.

"Hey, it's alright. I don't need it," he said. Piper raised an eyebrow. "What? I'm serious; consider it yours," Piper sighed, burying her face in her scarf once again. The lingering feeling to altering minds made her stomach turn. Seeing all of the food was making her want to throw up. "So…is that all you want to talk about?" he wondered, figuring there was more.

" _With her face half-hidden, I can't read her,"_ he thought to himself, finding that he was becoming lost in her eyes when they stared off into the distance…or at whatever she was writing. Jason tore his gaze away to read.

'Did you notice what I did?'

Jason scrunched his brow. "N…no," he admitted. Piper smiled.

She considered how she would write her next sentence. 'It's alright. I doubt that anyone did, let alone you,' she regretted writing that; it made it sound like she thought he was stupid, which she knew she wasn't. " _Remember, you don't really know him at all,"_ reminded herself. 'I spoke.'

Jason blinked, as if just remembering. "O-oh…what happened?"

'I,' she hesitated telling him, but ultimately decided it was probably for the best. 'I changed your memory, I changed everyone's.'

"What? How? What did you change?"

'It was your idea to go find the dragon, not Leo's. It was why everyone was mad you ten minutes ago,' Piper wrote. 'I made it so they all thought it was Leo's idea, and that you were just taking the credit so he wouldn't get in trouble.'

Jason blinked, trying to wrap his head around that. "So… _this_ is what your Charmspeak can do…?" he muttered. "It's…horrifying, and…amazing, at the same time."

'I'll disagree with the latter statement,' Piper mentioned.

"You could…solve all of the world's problems with that power!" he exclaimed. "You could solve the problem of the cabin feud! Let's-" he stood, about to act on that idea, when she caught his arm.

He looked down, seeing her in tears. She spoke. "I don't want to…" she said. "It hurts…even right now…it hurts _so much_ …" she curled up further, trying to hide from everyone she perceived to be watching. Jason sat back down.

He held her then. He didn't understand yet the gravity of what she could do, and the struggles she's endured since she acquired this power, but he could sympathize with her tears. She was in pain; _that_ much was clear. Or that could've been her Charmspeak, willing him to empathize, but he figured he had more agency than that. "Alright…then you don't have to do anything that you don't want to…" he said softly. "There's always another way, Piper."

After a round of tears, Piper regained herself. She continued writing, changing the subject. 'I saw the fight,' she claimed. 'You looked really cool.'

"Me? No way, it was…probably just the lighting at the time. I barely ended up doing anything anyway," he said somberly, recalling how the campers failed to obey his orders. "But at least no got hurt, right?"

'You wanna know who I thought was really cool, though?'

" _Oh gods above, please don't say it…"_ Jason begged.

'I think Percy was amazing, don't you?'

"I…yeah, I do," Jason replied, saddened. Piper clearly noticed this. She nudged him to continue. "Well…he was…reckless, don't you think?"

'To me it came off as confident, like you were before everyone ignored yours commands.'

Jason shook his head. "No way, I'm not like him; not at all."

Piper nudged him again. He realized he'd been scowling, and tried to soften up his expression. He really considered things for a moment. Piper didn't see Percy's display at the arena, which was a huge cause of concern for Jason.

Then again, Percy said his dislike for Jason was neither of their faults…maybe the same was true of Jason's distrust…

"…If you admire him for his confidence, or his fighting skills, or his…whatever else, maybe you should ask him for some advice?" Jason suggested. Piper cocked her head. "Like she if he can teach you personally."

'Why would he do that? He has almost a hundred and fifty other campers to deal with.'

"Yeah, but not all of them fight, and there are other people to help train," he claimed, having seen Percy pass classes off to other people the day prior to this one. "But I mean, only if you want to."

Piper's turn to consider. 'Well, it would be nice to be able to defend myself better. We're supposed to be heroes, right? Fighting monsters and all that?'

"There's more to being a hero than fighting monsters," Jason said suddenly, not entirely sure why he did. He paused, confused, before getting back on track. "But I think it _would be_ a good thing to do."

Piper smiled and nodded. 'I'll try tomorrow, then.'

Jason smiled as well. "Sounds good. I wish you luck, but, um…if you'll excuse me, I have to go, you know," the son of Zeus stood and left Piper without waiting for her reply, no doubt leaving her confused. He wanted to return and clear up that he didn't leave because he as getting jealous, but for now he _had_ to keep grasp on that, whatever it was.

He found a secluded place, leaving the pavilion and going to the cabins. On his way there, as his thoughts became both muddier and much clearer, somehow at the same time, his started becoming dizzy. He stumbled to the ground a fair number of times, but ultimately made it to his destination; Zeus' cabin.

" _There's more to being a hero…"_ he thought. " _Father…are you trying to tell me something?"_

Jason collapsed in front of Zeus' statue. As he felt he drew nearer to a revelation, a splitting headache formed. His vision turned blotchy. He tried to pull himself up to sit cross-legged, to meditate. While his attempts to induce a visions after that initial one had failed, he felt it would've been proper.

Instead, though, everything faded around him, including his headache, his wariness, his sense of being close.

Now he was there.

xxxXXXxxx

" _There's more to being a hero than killing monsters, R-" Jason said, standing up from just having been beaten._

" _Now_ that _sounds like a speech from a very sore loser," the girl claimed, bringing her cutlass to her shoulder in triumph._

 _A laugh came from the side of the room. It was another girl, with long platinum blonde hair. "You two haven't changed at all, have you?"_

" _Yeah, well, it's not our fault you've been so busy," R- said, putting a hand on her hip._

" _Yes, well, as you know, the Senate has been…disagreeing with many of my proposals; I've had to fight for quite a few of them."_

" _Did the one about fewer required years in service pass?" Jason wondered; he knew she'd been really pressing for that one. The girl nodded. "Awesome! Congratulations, T-."_

" _Thanks, Jason," the girl returned. "It means a lot that you'd be so supportive; someone from the Fifth aiding me is really making a difference I think."_

 _R- crossed her arms. "I don't know…would Mother approve of this?" she wondered._

" _I think that's an irrelevant question," T- replied. "She is merely responsible for bringing us together, not for how we govern ourselves after the fact."_

" _But we_ do _owe her our lives; she's our Mother," R- argued. "And if her approach has brought us together for so long, it must have some merits."_

" _This is why we aren't abandoning the old ways altogether," T-'s voice was becoming weary; it clearly wasn't the first time she'd argued these same points. Hell, Jason had already heard them argued, along with R-._

" _Alright, let's just…forget about it, for now," he suggested. "So, T-, how's your college work going? I know you haven't been able to focus on it much with the whole Senate thing, but you know. What were you studying, again?" Jason asked preemptively, knowing that R- would have already forgotten._

" _It's going well, I think. I've decided to focus my area of expertise to," she paused, forcing the final part out, like it caused her pain. "The Greeks."_

 _xxxXXXxxx_

Everything melted away for a brief moment, before Jason was back inside his cabin. He was sweating again, though this time it was accompanied by a distinct soreness like he actually _had_ just been beaten by that girl. Jason brought his hand up to his head; the headache hadn't gone away.

" _Who were they? What did they look like?"_ Jason questioned, already forgetting. He could swear he was looking directly at them during the encounter, but their images had disappeared the moment her woke back up. " _What were their names?"_

Jason racked his brain trying to remember, trying to piece together the puzzle of his past, but to no avail. Something was blocking him, and for a terrifying moment, he assumed it was the god whose statue was standing in front of him; his father.

He shook his head. " _No…don't start thinking that. The gods have their ways, but they don't meddle in mortal affairs, not usually…"_ even as he thought it, he knew it was just a fabrication he made up that second to help him cope. Then, someone else stumbled into view. They wore a hood, but Jason could tell by their physique that it was a girl. " _Will I be able to see_ her _face, I wonder?"_ he couldn't help thinking bitterly. " _No! Stop that!"_

He was about to go help her, as she seemed even more woozy on her feet than he felt, but then a burst of green mist poured out from her mouth. Jason lurched back surprised. The girl's eyes weren't even eyes, just hollowed-out sockets with a glowing green light shining ever so slightly from the back. She pointed at Jason, and her mouth hung lazily open.

Words were spoken, but it was more like Jason felt them.

 _Burned who makes the sky their own_

 _In the end you fight alone_

 _To the Mother's chosen place_

 _Where her blessing she'll replace_

 _The Queen lies waiting, chains abound_

 _Ideal shattered, ideal found_

When the final word was uttered, the girl collapsed to the ground. It took Jason a moment to react, but he went over to help her when he did. "H-here…" he offered a hand. The girl took it and sighed.

"Ugh, I hate when it just springs on me like that. Probably freaked you the hell out, right?" she said, talking casually about what just occurred.

"Whoa, hold on. Who are you? Has this happened before? What even _was_ that?"

The girl blinked and then got a little smile on her face, like she just realized something. She pointed as Jason. "…You're the new guy?" she guessed. Jason nodded. "Oho, oh, I'm sorry, then you must be _doubly_ freaked out," she walked away.

"Whoa, whoa, hey," Jason followed, grabbing her arm. "Can you _please_ explain a bit about what just happened?"

"Um…" the girl seemed to consider it, but she didn't get a chance to respond. Instead, a figure appeared in the door.

"Winona?" Jason questioned.

"Rachel!" the blonde snapped at the new girl. "You're not supposed to let the Oracle control you unless I'm around!"

The new girl, Rachel, shrugged. "Sorry, sometimes it just kinda happens."

Jason looked past Winona, and saw that a crowd of ten or fifteen campers was behind her, their eyes all equally urgent. Winona stomped into the room and grabbed Jason's arm, threateningly. "What did she tell you?" Winona demanded.

In a strictly reactionary motion, Jason caught her hand and twisted it, warding her away. She lurched back. Jason felt anger…no, desperation, come over him. " _They're enemies_ ," he thought. "Get away from me!" he snarled. He felt his power seep from him, the wind around him being just enough to ruffle his clothes and give him a sense of power.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" Winona questioned, holding her wrist. "What did Rachel say?" she asked again.

"I said get back!" Jason wasn't thinking, blasting Winona away with his wind, out the door and into the crowd of campers. A light caught his eye. When he looked at his hands, he saw sparks, and then small arcs of lighting came from them, thankfully not out far enough or with enough juice to hurt anybody.

The sight shook Jason from his feral mindset. Hell, it terrified him out of it. He shook his hands, willing his powers to come back under his control. " _Wait…it's coming back to me…"_ he thought, feeling as if another memory was about to surface.

Images flashed through his mind, horrible things. He saw corpses, burned to the crisp. He saw a city in flames…so much fire…the heat suffocating him. He saw his own hands, bloody, but still working through rubble, desperately searching for something.

Jason returned to the present, where a crowd of campers, now armed, had surrounded him. He held his hands up, the wind around his fading. "W-wait, wait," he pleaded.

"Tell us what you heard!" Winona called again. She'd been gripping his shoulder as he'd had his memory flashes. She'd been repeating the question for two minutes straight.

Jason took a deep breath. His lips were dry and sweat was dripping from his brow, down to his chin. " _They're enemies…"_ he thought numbly. " _…Why are they enemies? Who was enemies with the Greeks?"_

Then it hit him, like a bolt of lightning. He saw them looking at him expectantly. He even saw Leo, on Festus, circling overhead in case he'd tried to fly away.

"I need to talk to Chiron," Jason said. "Right now."

Winona had to escort him to the Big House herself, as everyone was now unsure of his loyalties. He was questioning them too, at the moment, so he didn't blame them. The centaur was in his wheelchair when they arrived, playing a card game with some pudgy guy drinking Diet Coke.

"Chiron," Winona got his attention. "Jason heard the a prophecy."

"Forget that," Jason said. "I want to know where I came from, and I-" he hesitated. "I _can't_ take 'no' for an answer."

The centaur and pudgy man exchanged a look, and in a swipe of a grapevine, he was gone. Jason chose to ignore it. "Well…I believe there is quite a bit to discuss. Don't expect much sleep tonight, young man."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry about the super late upload today, but I was both unexpectedly called in to work and subsequently got really sick at work so I wasn't exactly feeling the computer when I got home. I literally laid in my basement for half an hour thinking I was having a heat stroke and then stooping over my toilet waiting for myself to puke after forcing myself to eat a banana. I'm having a wonderful night, as you can tell.**

 **I'll still upload daily through however long this lasts, because it's not like I have to write to keep up anymore, given how I'm doing this.**

 **Anyway, not like you guys need to know that, but in any case I'll see you all tomorrow.**


	7. People I Can Trust

Jason paced the room, eager to begin discussing his theory. "Well," Chiron said finally. "Go ahead and tell me what you think you know, Jason."

He just came out and said it. "I don't think I'm a Greek demigod. I think I'm Roman."

Winona crossed her arms. "That's impossible," she said. "The _Greek_ gods sent us a message saying to get you at that Wilderness School."

Jason looked her in the eye. It didn't actually look or sound like she believed that statement, but it was more like a test. "But I was just put there _that_ day," he argued. "I wasn't supposed to be there."

Winona looked about to say something else, but Chiron held up a hand, and gestured for Jason to continue. He seemed awfully calm about the guess, which only excited Jason more.

"Gods, but it makes so much sense! I can't stop thinking about the gods in their Roman variations, and I've been getting so… _annoyed_ at the laxness displayed by the campers here; Roman societal structure was more rigid and defined and, for lack of a better term, disciplined, then it is here. But if I'm Roman, then I must've been sent here for a reason, right? I couldn't have just been switched for no good reason, right?"

"How do you know you're not the only one like you?" Winona questioned, shrugging. "You could've been a freak accident."

"Because I've been having these…visions. I think they're incomplete memories of my time with the other Roman demigods. I'm with two friends, people who are important for some reason, but for the life of me, I don't…I can't remember what they look like, or even what their names are…" as he said it, Jason became saddened. He _knew_ those two girls were important, one of them might have even been closer than a friend, but… "I feel so guilty…these feelings aren't fake. They're like me, they _have_ to be like me."

"So…" Winona crossed her arms again. "Does this mean you remember?"

"No, it's all just a feeling," he said. "Except for those visions, I still don't remember anything. It could've just been us three, though I doubt it, or there might've been a whole society like you have here at Camp Half-Blood. I don't know."

Chiron shifted in his chair. He'd been pretty quiet this whole time while Jason expounded. "Well…all of this seems plausible enough," he said finally. Jason's heart sank. The tone, even the words, hinted at more.

"You know something?" Jason guessed. "And you're still not gonna tell me?"

"I'm afraid I'm still under oath," the teacher claimed. "But I can tell you that you are correct, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter."

" _Now_ that _sounds right to me,"_ Jason thought. He found himself smiling. It soon faded when Chiron continued.

"Now, about this prophecy…?"

Winona relayed how green mist poured into the pavilion, and they followed it back to Zeus' cabin. There, she found Jason.

"It was right after one of my visions," he picked up from there. "I saw this girl, I think Winona said her named was Rachel, and she just started spewing out the aforementioned mist. She pointed at me and said some cryptic stuff."

"And what did she say?" Chiron asked. "Think hard; the wording is critical."

Jason thought back, and recited what he'd heard.

 _Burned who makes the sky their own_

 _In the end you fight alone_

 _To the Mother's chosen place_

 _Where her blessing she'll replace_

 _The Queen lies waiting, chains abound_

 _Ideal shattered, ideal found_

Jason waited as Chiron considered the words. Winona seemed to be slightly put off by them. "The Queen?" she was the first to speak. "As in 'of the gods'? Hera?"

"Yes, I agree; this doesn't bode well for her…"

"You can't be implying that it means Juno…" Jason said, though he soon second guessed his words. "I mean Hera."

"Whatever you say is fine," Chiron claimed.

"Alright. Juno couldn't have been taken, right? She's a god, and the Queen of the gods, no less."

"It very well could," the centaur said grimly, his eyes dark with worry and foreboding. "It wouldn't be the first time a god was taken."

"…I don't even know why I'm asking, but who…which gods were taken before?"

"Artemis and Apollo," Winona said. "Artemis was captured and then fell in battle upon being rescued, and transferred her essence to her Lieutenant, Zoë Nightshade. Apollo was captured and was cut off from the sun, his source of power, so to speak. When he was returned to the surface, he was in a vegetative state, and his essence was transferred to…me," she avoided Jason's gaze upon saying that final bit.

"So…you're a god?"

"More like a half-god," she said.

"But…we're demigods."

"I'm aware," Winona seemed to think what Jason said was a joke, and was unamused. "Fine, then think of me as three-fourths of a god. Just…don't start revering me or anything; it'd be creepy," she scrunched her nose in disgust. "Now, can we please get back on track."

Jason's brain did a 180. "So, what does this prophecy mean? And what are we gonna do about it?"

"Well, I'm not sure how you might be used to doing things, but here at Camp Half-Blood, when the Oracle speaks to us, or if a sign is sent from the gods, then a quest is undergone," Chiron said. "In your case, both have happened."

"A quest?"

"Think like Perseus goes to slay Medusa, or when the original Jason went to retrieve the Golden Fleece," Winona said. "You travel to whatever needs to be done, and you do it."

"But…I don't know where to go. I can't go on a quest if there's no destination, right?"

Winona shrugged. "When in doubt, go west," she said.

"I believe what Winona is trying to say is that you'll know the way when the time comes."

"But…" Jason wasn't so sure.

"Think of it this way, young Jason; that prophecy _will_ come true, in some sense or another. So, in actuality, there is no right way to go about it."

Jason nodded, though he wasn't entirely confident. "When do I leave?"

Chiron shifted again. "Well, if Lady Hera is in chains, then I don't believe you have much time. However, I will leave the decision to you."

" _I'm not sure I think she is,"_ Jason thought. "Um…maybe in a week?" he said. "To prepare. Do we know what I'll be dealing with?"

"Monsters," Winona said. "Some might be worse that that Anemoi Thuellai from the Canyon."

"All the more reason to thoroughly prepare," he said. "And am I going alone? It says I fight alone, right?"

Chiron chuckled. "That is a choice left up to you. However, from my experience, with no exceptions, when a quest is completed, three campers have always returned here, at least in the result of a successful quest."

" _So I_ can _fail; it's not already preordained that I succeed. That's good information,"_ Jason thought. _"…I think…"_

"I'd recommend Percy," Winona said. "And myself. We're your best bets for survival. I'd say Bianca, but she went and ran off again."

Jason crossed his arms, lowered his chin and closing his eyes. " _Who do I want with me?"_ he considered the question carefully. It didn't take that long to decide. "I'll take Piper and Leo," he said. "And Grover too."

Chiron didn't respond at first, while Winona just looked confused. Jason explained his reasoning.

"I trust them," he said. "No offense, but…there's _still_ this nagging feeling in the back of my head saying bad things about you guys. For them, at least I knew them a bit before we were demigods. I know they care about me, at least. I want people like that by my side, not whoever's best for my survival," he explained. "Besides, I'm the son of Jupiter; I should be strong enough to protect them, right?"

"Banking on principle of birth didn't work out for the last child of Zeus," Winona warned. Jason frowned at the mention; it was that Goth girl from the cabin, he knew it. "But I won't try and dissuade you."

Jason nodded, though that mention of the Goth girl got him in a bad mood. "We'll announce the quest tomorrow, at dinner. Until then, rest up. I fear you'll have sparing opportunities to do so on your journey."

xxxXXXxxx

Piper wasn't used to getting up this early. Well, she was used to getting up for classes, but this was a good two hours earlier than that, right as the sun was peeking over the horizon. Due to camp's magical weather, it was always summer hours, meaning the sun rose super early, at around five in the morning, and Piper had to get ready before that too; she wasn't going to appear in public looking like a total slob.

Though, compared to her siblings, she took exponentially less time to get ready. She made her way across the sound, to the little cabin where she was told Percy lived. She'd found a small canoe to make the crossing.

As for why she had to come so early, she was told he does nothing but teach classes all day every day, so she figured she should pop the question and get some lessons before all of that. She figured after everything was done for the day wouldn't be the best time; he might be cranky from a bad class, or tired from a long day, so she ultimately chose the earliest possible time.

She reached the cabin, which looked…actually very nice. She was told he hand built it, in which case she had to be impressed with his craftsmanship. A fine finish on the wood, clean cuts; the whole thing had a very homely feel, almost like she could just warm up a cup of hot chocolate and sit out on the porch, watching the sunrise.

She wondered if Percy did that sometimes; did he do normal things like that. Piper figured that he had to do something normal, even with his monstrous reputation around camp, as this kind of legendary figure to be equal parts revered and feared. Well, seeing his fight the previous day, she could fathom why he was treated like that.

Piper went up to the door, and knocked. She tried to be firm with the knock; not too weak, but she didn't want to disturb him either, so she figured not to do it too loud.

She didn't get an answer. " _Maybe he's sleeping?"_ Piper thought. " _Maybe I should come back later, or wait out here?"_

Before she could even come to a decision, she heard a low rumbling sound. She looked toward its source, and nearly dropped her fudge. About a hundred meters out from camp, in the middle of the Sound, the water was physically parting, like God-showing-Moses-the-path-to-salvation kind of parting. The waves churned and even bubbled, like they were boiling, against the force, but it held. Piper heard a roar of exertion, and she thought she could just make out a tiniest figure, holding himself aloft with a spiral of water, using his godly powers to split the sea. He held it there, spreading it further and further apart, for what must've been half an hour.

Then he let it go, and the water all crashed in on itself, dragging him under. " _Oh gods, is he gonna be okay?"_ Piper thought, about to go back to her canoe and get him. Then he causally rose out of the water, just ten yards out from where she was, and stood on the water's surface, stretching. " _How did he move that fast?"_

Percy noticed Piper standing at his front doorstep. He walked onto the shore and up to her. Aside from sweat, he was dry. "Did you need something?" he wondered. Piper shifted her gaze up; she'd been staring at his abs. She hastily pulled out her pen, and actually dropped it. Once she retrieved it, she found that he'd walked past her, into his home. She stood there, confused. "Are you coming in or not?" he questioned. "Come on; you're letting the cold air in."

Piper jumped, and hurried inside, finding it to, indeed, be nice and cozy warm in the cabin. The door closed by itself; Piper found a camera aiming out the door. She blinked. Silently, she wondered what Percy thought when he saw her waiting for him. Did he think she wanted to…get together? He couldn't be that base, could he? Did he figure that she was like that?

"Go ahead and relax," he said. "I'm gonna get dressed a while; you get your story straight. Oh, and if things happen without you touching things, don't worry, it's normal; this place is supped up to be basically automatic."

With that, he climbed a flight of stairs and disappeared into a room up there. Piper knew her story; she wanted private lessons, and either he agreed or turned her down. Instead, Piper took the time to look around.

The inside of the cabin looked like a cross between the log cabin that she saw on the outside, and a really roomy apartment. It was hard to explain why she thought of it like that. It didn't feel roomy, though it was; there was just a whole bunch of crap strewn about everywhere.

Piper heard that most demigods were diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. Piper hadn't shown symptoms of either to her knowledge, but she figured that Percy displayed both. He probably didn't have the attention span to clean up after himself regularly. To his credit, though, there wasn't any food lying around, which is more than Piper could say for Leo, Grover, and Jason's dorm back at the Wilderness School. Well, Leo and Grover's dorm, that is.

Like Percy had said, things seemed to happen automatically; when she approached some doors, like to the kitchen, it just swung open upon her getting near it. However some, like that to an office area, had to be opened manually and had a physical lock, likely for privacy purposes. " _Well, they should've locked it before I got here,"_ Piper thought mischievously. In the back of her head, she figured she might find something hella embarrassing about Percy, and might be able to use it against him; having a super-demigod as her servant _would_ be nice.

She didn't end up finding anything like that, however. Instead, it seemed like just a normal study. Piper doubted that most of this stuff was Percy's; it looked way too advanced to be his. It was stuff like the architecture of ancient Greece, along with various other cultures dating back to the Indus River Valley.

Piper found a single picture in there, that of Percy on the beach. He looked like he just turned around upon being called, only to have whoever took it, surprise him by taking it. It was cute, and it made it seem like he was almost a real person.

" _I probably shouldn't be snooping,"_ she thought, exiting the study, and instead entering a living room area. There, she found a few more pictures, this time with more than just Percy. There were a series of four pictures on a shelf above an fireplace, all with three people.

The first contained Percy, a blond girl, and Grover. They all looked around fourteen or fifteen, though Piper knew Grover was older. The next contained Percy, that blond girl, and Clarisse, and they all seemed fifteen, maybe sixteen. Piper giggled; Clarisse looked like she was literally dragged into frame at the last second. The last two both had Percy, the blond girl, and Bianca. The first seemed like it was taken more recently, but that wouldn't have followed the trend. The fourth picture seemed like Percy was seventeen, if that, while the third seemed like he was the age he was now.

She couldn't help but wonder why the discrepancy existed, but she was more captivated by the blond girl, who was present in every one of the pictures. She was beautiful in every one of them; and she looked like the kids she saw in the Athena cabin, so Piper figured she must be from there. While her body was scarred, like the others', it also seemed flowing and formless like a goddess'. Her silver-gray eyes sparkled with happiness in each of the pictures. Hell, even Percy seemed happy in them, holding the blonde girl by the hip in some of the pictures, across the shoulders in the first one (though he was doing that with Grover too), even carrying her bridal style in the third while she gave a peace sign to the camera, which Bianca was doing as well, holding onto Percy's shoulder and grinning.

Piper noticed a few more pictures, with two in particular standing out because they had the blond girl in them. The others had several other people, including Winona, a Goth girl, and who looked like a Persian princess. The latter looked about as unhappy to be in the photo as Clarisse was in the other one.

The first of the two particulars was in a frame, and the other was just lying around. The one lying around was the older of the two; it was of the blond girl standing in front of…some kind of marble landmark. It was difficult to tell; it could've been the Parthenon, it could've been the Abe Lincoln Memorial. " _Maybe that's just my ignorance showing…"_ Piper thought.

The girl looked younger, maybe as young as in the first of the four threesome pictures. She was alone this time, smirking. Piper figured Percy wasn't there at the time as, judging from the threesome pictures, Percy and she weren't together at that point, or at least they weren't old enough to travel together if they were an item.

The final picture, the framed one, was of the blonde girl and Percy kissing. Their cheeks were rosy, and there was a crowd around them; this was one was recent too. " _Maybe a celebration?"_ Piper figured. She found herself staring at it for a bit too much time. She felt a strange…longing, when she looked at it. " _They look so happy…I wish…I wish Jason and I were like this…"_ she thought. " _But no, he had to go and lose his memories, and then tell me that everything we'd had was fake."_

Piper was scowling when Percy entered the room. When she noticed, she quickly put on a better face, still looking at the final photo. "Oh, her? That's my girlfriend," he explained.

" _I gathered,"_ Piper couldn't help thinking of a remark. She pulled out her pen, and Percy took out his light. 'What's her name?'

"Annabeth," Percy answered. "Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena; she's why the house is automatic, because she can't be bothered with stupid stuff."

'Like opening doors on her own?'

"You'd be surprised how few times she's walking around the house with no hands available," he returned, chuckling.

'Where is she?'

"On a trip," he said. "Unfortunately, demigods aren't allowed to have phones, and she's in a place that's outside the gods' domain, so I can't exactly talk to her at the moment."

'Oh. How long is she gonna be gone?'

"Dunno," he said, shrugging. "Could be a few more weeks, could be a year."

" _He says it so casually,"_ Piper thought. " _Doesn't he care? I thought there were monsters outside of camp; isn't she in danger?"_

So either he was really good at not caring about his significant other or he was really good at not showing it. If it was the latter, then she would have to starting taking lessons other than sword fighting from him. "So," he shook her out of her thoughts. "Why did you decide to drop by so early?"

'I saw your fight yesterday,' Piper started. 'And I want to learn how to fight, to defend myself better, without having to rely on other people.'

"I have classes for that," Percy said, crossing his arms.

'I-' she paused. 'I want to ask to be trained personally.'

"And why would I agree to that?" Percy questioned. "What do I get out of it?"

Piper raised an eyebrow. 'I thought you were a hero; isn't your whole thing not turning people down?'

Percy chuckled again. "Heh, no. My whole thing is keeping you all alive; I think we went over this before."

'But-' she was interrupted without him even reading.

"Tell you what; if you want to me to train you, then tell me to train you," he dared. Piper grimaced. "Oh yeah, I know about your powers. Trust me; I've had them used on me before. Granted, when they were used on me, it was controlled."

And just like that, they were at an impasse. Percy stood defiant, like a boulder blocking her path. Piper didn't respond for a moment, trying to decide what she should do.

'I don't want to use them, ever,' Piper finally wrote.

"I don't care," he returned.

'Why not? You can't possibly understand how hard-'

"I'm gonna stop you right there before you make a fool of yourself," Percy said, forcing her hand down gently. "I'm gonna tell you like it is, Piper. You have a gift."

She wrestled her hand back up and continued writing, her strokes getting frantic. 'It's not a gift; it's a curse. Everyone is saying to use it, but it'll get people hurt.'

Percy considered this. "…Has anyone ever told you about a fatal flaw?" he wondered. Piper shook her head. "Well, it's something that all demigods have; it's usually determined by their godly parent. I can tell you a lot off the top of my head; Bianca's is excessive obsession, Winona's is excessive attachment, Annabeth's is excessive pride, mine is excessive bravery. All of these things can be good in moderation, would you not agree?" Piper nodded. "It's only when we let it get the better of us would it be fatal. Annabeth's pride in herself, had she not been smart and learned to control it early, could've gotten her killed, because she'd have been too prideful to ask for help. Winona lost someone close to her; had she been allowed to give into her flaw, she would've overexerted her powers and killed herself, and us, trying to save him."

Piper furrowed her brow, unconvinced with his argument. 'So you're saying I should treat my Charmspeak as a fatal flaw?' if one could imagine, she wrote it smugly.

"I think it would be healthy," he said. "The others think that too, if I had to guess. I could think of a lot of things that you can do with your powers, but if you never use them, never learn to control them, you'll never have those opportunities."

Piper considered this. She shook her head. " _You've tried this,"_ she reminded herself. But not with so many people who understand…

"So, I repeat myself; if you want me to train you, I want you to ask me to train you."

Piper found herself fidgeting, trying to ease off the anxiety she felt upon opening her mouth. It was hidden by the scarf; she had her head buried in it. She raised her hand up, and pulled the scarf down a bit, down to where her chin was visible. "C-can…can you please train me personally?" It was odd; she felt more nervous about using her powers here than in front of the large crowd. Maybe it was because Percy actually knew about her powers, and was expecting them. He knew who he could blame if something went wrong because of them.

Percy smiled. "I would be honored to," he said, his voice actually sounding genuine, even though, with the Charmspeak, he couldn't refuse.

" _Maybe he has some resistance, since it's been used on him before?"_ Piper thought, though she also thought that that was ridiculous.

"I'm gonna be moving fast, so you'd better be able to keep up," he said. "Come on; I'll show you some basics today; tomorrow we'll get you a weapon."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Finally we have a fucking quest announced! Again, sorry for the late upload. Insert excuse about work and home stuff here.**

 **See you all tomorrow!**


	8. Perfect Night, Not Perfect Day

_It was a perfect night. Well, as perfect a night could be for a demigod. Well, as perfect a night could be for a demigod who still wants to have some semblance of a normal mortal life. Well, okay, it wasn't a perfect night, but it was still a damn good one._

 _Prom night, or at least that's what Annabeth had called it. She didn't attend school during what was supposed to be her senior year, because Titans._

 _Thus, Annabeth's dad arranged a thing, where he invited a whole bunch of Annabeth's friends, like all three of them from her mortal school, along with some campers, to throw a prom at her house. Percy wasn't sold on the idea until it happened, and then…it was fine._

 _The highlight came before the party started, though. When he showed up in a tuxedo (in was the first time in his life he'd had a chance to wear one), he said hello to the family, and then she came down. Her hair in a fancy bun, her makeup, yes, makeup on Annabeth, was perfect, accentuating her best features, which to Percy, was all of them._

 _She walked up to him, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then they exchanged flowers. Percy didn't know the technical term for "wrist band flower" and "pocket flower"._

 _After that, once everyone showed up, the party started. There was dancing, of course, there was screaming, there were games ranging from that stupid spinning around the baseball bat into that beer pong thing, to regular board games like monopoly, which Annabeth won two out of two games that were played over the course of six hours._

 _Percy got to meet Annabeth's mortal friends, who all, at some point during the night, exclaimed how lucky she was to have "such a hot man" all to herself, to which she waved it off awkwardly. She also didn't tell them that they were expecting, so she wouldn't have Percy all to herself for much longer._

 _About that, yeah. When they broke the news to Mr. Chase and the family, it was the tensest Percy's body had ever been. Percy had honestly expected the man to kill him, but he actually took it relatively well. True to one who Athena would fall for, he laid out a list of things to note, including what he would attempt to help provide, what he wouldn't, and so on. Later, when Percy was alone with him, he made the son of Poseidon tell him exactly what happened that led to them making love. When Percy relayed it, he saw no hint as to what he was thinking._

 _Percy had been terrified of him even before that, but now that fear was on a whole other level. Giant steam-roller-sized lion? Cake. Rock Titan who caused major PTSD? Not a problem. Girlfriend's dad? Impossible, absolutely impossible to overcome._

 _Back to the party, a certain song came on when Percy and Annabeth were in a separate room alone. "Hallelujah," Percy muttered, the sound bringing back so many memories._

" _Our song," Annabeth agreed. She had a wistful look when she heard it, and Percy couldn't blame her; those were much simpler times._

" _So, little lady…you remember the dance we rain-checked?"_

" _Yeah, what about it?" she asked, though she knew exactly what he was implying._

" _I think now would be a good a time as any to cash it in. What do you say?"_

" _I say that you're a total sap," she said. Percy stood and offered her a hand. Hands on her hips, hands around his neck, they started dancing to the soft beat of the song._

 _It wasn't until that perfect moment ended did the bad stuff start happening. The song came to a close, the two shared a kiss, and then were about to return to hang out with the others that were there. But then they were interrupted._

 _It wasn't a monster attack, thankfully, but it was_ something _from the Greek world. "While I'm not one for young love," they heard behind them. "I must say that you two fit each other perfectly."_

 _They whirled around, expecting a monster of some kind, but all they saw was a woman, looking to be in her mid-forties. She looked as dressed for the occasion as the rest of them, though both of the demigods knew that she wasn't there to party._

" _Lady Hera," Annabeth said, bowing slightly. Percy remained straight-backed. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"_

" _Nothing good, I'm afraid," Hero replied. "I come bearing ill news, and then even worse news."_

" _Good, my favorite kind," Percy said sarcastically._

" _You two have heard the Second Great Prophecy, have you not?" Hera wondered._

 _That stirred up tension in the two of them. "Well…yeah, but the last one didn't come true for thousands of years, right?" Annabeth wondered hesitantly. "You can't be implying…"_

" _I am," Hera said. "I believe it will come true not only in your lifetime, but very, very soon."_

" _No…" Percy's chest welled up in dread. "No way! I thought at the earliest it would be when I'm like eighty and someone_ else _would have to do it!"_

" _I apologize," Hera said, though it sounded like she forced herself to say it, especially to Percy. Hera wasn't exactly known for her sympathy to mortals; just look at Heracles._

 _Percy glared at her, bitter. "…No you're not," he guessed._

" _No, I'm not," Hera said, all sympathy in her voice, however forced, was now gone. "Now, onto business. This Second Great Prophecy is likely to do with another threat to the gods. The last was the Titans, as you know. Though I fear that these adversaries will be far stronger than even Kronos_ _."_

" _How do you mean? I thought gods and Titans were the strongest beings in the universe."_

" _Well, technically the Protogenoi are more powerful than them. We aren't going up against one of them, are we?"_

" _Not as far as I can tell," Hera claimed. "Though I could be wrong. If so, I don't believe there is anything any of us could do to prevent Olympus' destruction. Should any of them turn against the world they created, we could only watch."_

" _Great. Next," Percy was eager to learn of why Hera came to them._

" _As it stands, however, I don't believe you Greeks will be enough to combat this threat."_

"… _But…we're all you have," Percy said. "And I'm-"_

" _I am aware of your capabilities, Titan Slayer," the goddess interrupted. "And I say this in spite of that. You know what happened to the Greeks?"_

" _They were overtaken by Rome," Annabeth said. "Where the Romans stole all of our culture and beliefs and bastardized them."_

" _And you know that we gods shift and sway according to wherever the center of power is located, correct?"_

" _So…" Percy wasn't grasping it._

" _We were housed in Rome almost as long as we were in Greece. We developed certain…personality traits that lay dormant for now."_

" _Like a split personality? I just thought the Roman gods faded after the heart of the West moved to America."_

" _Our Roman aspects have not faded," Hera said. "Occasionally, our Roman aspects have even had children, separate from you Greek demigods."_

" _So what? Wouldn't they count?" Percy wondered._

" _They are inherently different from your kind; more disciplined, more rigid in their beliefs. They're conquerors, like the gods they were birthed to."_

" _How many are there?"_

" _Enough to make a difference against this new threat," Hera said._

" _Wait…" Annabeth said. "I'm confused; why haven't we heard of them before? How come we haven't run into one of them?"_

 _Hera looked away, which disturbed the demigods; she was about to relay a grim memory, even for the gods. "The American Civil War was a tragedy, yes?"_

" _No way…"_

" _The Greeks and the Romans fought a war parallel to that one. It cost lives by the thousands. This was a combined force set to fulfill the First Great Prophecy, but it was annihilated by inner turmoil. The Greeks, led by a proud son of Zeus, the Romans, by a daughter of Neptune, did battle at the Parthenon, and-"_

" _In Greece?"_

" _In Tennessee," Hera said. "In the end, the Greeks were victorious, but nothing was gained. The gods could only watch as their children slaughtered each other. It wasn't their fault; you Greeks and Romans have this…intrinsic hatred for one another, due to your conflicts in the past…" Hera trailed off, trying to compose herself. "We gods could no longer simply watch. We made a joint decision, even did so in both our Greek and Roman aspects. It was a unanimous decision to separate you. We wove the Mist so thickly that all traces of the other side were forgotten. Even during the Titan War, you remained unaware of the other side."_

" _This…all sounds really fake," Percy said. "Demigods have a resistance to Mist, right?"_

" _I guess that just goes to show how thickly laced it was," Annabeth offered. "So, Lady Hera, do you propose we go and meet these Roman demigods?"_

" _No," the goddess said. "That would only reignite the feud between you, though I believe your meeting is both inevitable and necessary. My proposition is far more subtle."_

" _Then get on with it," Percy said._

 _Hera scoffed a bit, but didn't say anything about his rudeness. "I will send one of you two over to them, alone."_

" _And how is that any different than-"_

" _I will, of course, take away your memories before you go, so as to minimize any inherent bias against them. You will go to them, become one of them, at least partially. I hope that this will be enough, to show you both that you can work together, that there is good in the other side."_

" _Without memories?" Percy questioned, exchanging a look with Annabeth. "Is that_ really _necessary? I mean, we know about the threat, so it would only make sense to work together."_

" _Do the scars run that deep between us?" Annabeth wondered. Hera nodded, her expression grim; it was clear that this was her very last resort. Another look was exchanged. "Maybe we could both go."_

" _No, Annabeth," Percy argued. "You have our child in your stomach; I'm not gonna let you-"_

" _Percy, we need to think this through," the daughter of Athena interrupted. "You would only make things worse, you know that."_

" _What?"_

" _You're not exactly the easiest person to make friends with; I should know, it took me two years."_

" _Yeah, to get together; we were friends before that. And my point still stands."_

 _Annabeth considered this. "I don't know…" she trailed off._

" _I would have you both know my Roman aspect has already told the Romans' leaders of your existence. They have agreed to send one of their own, their Saving Grace, to Camp Half-Blood, once I work through his memories."_

"… _Are there any other caveats?" Annabeth wondered._

" _You can't seriously be thinking about agreeing to this, can you?" Percy said._

" _To minimize chaos in camp, of one of their leaders disappearing, I will force the memories attached to those involved into dormancy. If you would like, I may also be able to refrain from doing so to a few individuals of your choosing."_

" _A camp-wide amnesia attack…" Annabeth crossed her arms in thought._

" _Hey, earth to Brighteyes," Percy snapped in front of her face. "We're not done talking, sweetheart."_

 _Annabeth ignored him. "Lady Hera, do we have to give an answer now?"_

 _The goddess considered this. "It will take three weeks to work through the Saving Grace's memories. I can give you that much time, though it's dangerous. The location isn't secure; our enemies could be targeting it as we speak. I will do what I can to provide protection, along with the Romans' guardian aiding me, but I'm afraid I can only do so much against such a foe."_

" _I'll take you up on that, then. We'll send word via Iris-Message within three weeks."_

" _Whoa, hey, wait up," Percy said, holding his hands up. "I retained the right to refuse, didn't I?"_

" _I'm afraid we don't control fate," Hera said, though she still didn't exactly come off as sympathetic. "If my suspicions are correct, one or both of you will play major roles within the Second Great Prophecy. Of that, I can be almost certain. I bid you farewell, as I await your answer."_

 _Then, the goddess disappeared, leaving an untold sense of dread within both demigods._

xxxXXXxxx

Percy awoke early, as he did every morning. It was an odd habit; he goes to sleep late, and wakes up early. He would say it's typical ADHD behavior, except other demigods with ADHD hate mornings.

And Percy did too, he just couldn't go back to sleep after he woke up. He shuffled out of bed, scratching his back, feeling over the scars on his body; it was a habit that he'd gotten into. He did anything he could to use his hands with something; rub his fingers together, open and close his fists, snap, tap to music that wasn't there, and most recently, grazing his skin to feel scars. Don't ask him how he got it, and just know that it was a better habit than biting nails.

"Hey…" he mumbled. "When's my first class today?"

" _You got one at ten,"_ Riptide relayed. Riptide was his sword; it's original owner, Zoë, yes, _that_ Zoë, was the one who made it. Now, in Percy's possession, it was either Zoë's subconscious or some kind of alternate or split personality of hers. Snarky is one word to describe it, with a load of movie and TV references to spout at the most inappropriate times. There was only one time that Percy could recall when this was useful, and it was a Pulp Fiction quote, so it would've been good to say in any situation.

Anyway, Percy quickly checked the clock; 4:36. " _Damn, fifteen minutes late…"_ he thought as he went to do his morning routine. Well, the boring part; restroom, brushing and flossing, making the bed (though this usually waited until later because he usually had someone still sleeping in it), and getting dressed.

Most days he went with his Camp Half-Blood muscle shirt, black jeans, and his sweat jacket that Annabeth had gotten for him for his birthday. Even after two and a half years, it still fit great. Then again, he mostly grow in the legs during that time, hence why he owns like ten pairs of jeans that don't fit him but he's too lazy to throw them out.

Then he got to his stretches. While Percy had gotten used to functioning without them, he still did them in the morning anyway to retain flexibility. It was that flexibility, along with the Achilles Curse, that allowed him to dodge a near-instantaneous attack by Kronos last summer. It was pretty handy.

" _Whoa, whoa, you hear that?"_ Riptide said suddenly. Percy froze. " _That tapping. Is someone downstairs?"_

" _A monster?"_ was Percy's first thought, recalling that the house lay outside camp's borders. He drew Riptide, and crept down as silently as possible. He took a slow deep breath and held it so he wouldn't alert them with his breathing. He _did_ hear the footsteps, along with pages ruffling, like they were messing with Annabeth's stuff in the study.

He approached the corner that led to the study, and then stepped out swinging. A yell was heard. Percy froze again, stopping his attack just before he cleaved off Piper's head and shoulders. Percy released his breath. "Gods! Don't _do_ that to me!" he exclaimed, leaning against the wall and retracting Riptide. The girl was still scared stiffless, her muscles tense with fear of being killed. "Hey, relax, I'm not gonna hurt you," he said. Gradually, she calmed down, leaning against the wall herself. She brought out her pen. "Sorry, I don't have-"

She wrote in Greek. It was basic Greek, but it was Greek. 'Watch it," she wrote, her expression angry.

"Excuse me, but _whose_ house is this? And what were you thinking, sneaking in here so early? I thought you were a monster," he said.

'Ready,' she wrote in Greek.

"What?"

'Ready,' she repeated. Percy sighed; this girl didn't know enough Greek. He went and got his flashlight.

"Hey, not for nothing, but give it a few more classes. Go ahead and write in English."

Piper nodded. 'I'm ready to start.'

"Well, I'm not," Percy returned. Piper seemed discouraged. "Look, I appreciate your enthusiasm, and you did well yesterday, considering it's the first time you've ever used a sword, but I've got things that I need to do to keep in form."

'But the quest is in a week. I need to be ready.'

Right, the quest. While it wasn't a shock to Percy, it did disturb him a bit that Jason would pick the two least experienced demigods at camp, and Grover. Percy even tried to dissuade him, to no avail. Both Piper and Leo agreed whole-heartedly. Upon hearing their agreement, Percy couldn't help but be a bit saddened. Knowing the hardships he'd faced on his quests, he could tell that they had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

"Trust me; you're _never_ ready for a quest," he said to the daughter of Aphrodite. "Ever," he brought his hand up to his neck, where his most prominent scar lay; a permanent reminder of his own shortcomings.

Piper took notice of the gesture. 'Can I ask where you got it?'

"…A mistake," he said vaguely. "It doesn't matter anymore."

'And what about the tattoo on your arm?'

Percy blinked; it'd been a while since he thought about it. He turned his arm and hand so the palm was facing up. STNABMSL.

"…" Percy only stared at them, a lingering melancholy washed over him, as it did every time he looked at the inking.

Piper snapped in front of his face; she'd written more. 'You said we'd get me a weapon today?'

He nodded. "Sure, fine," he said, his voice becoming robotic as he tried to distance himself from the memories. He decided to give up on his morning routine of practicing with his water powers. He figured with his mood, it would be best to have someone keeping him company.

Percy ended up taking her to the armory, which he had to unlock using special keys only given to the leaders of camp. The reason for this privacy wasn't so much to keep campers from getting weapons; most campers who'd been there for a year or so had their own weapons which they kept on their person. It was more for the newbies, so they couldn't wander inside and start wreaking havoc.

It was an odd compilation of weapons, equal parts ancient and modern. You could find just as many swords within the structure as you could find guns. "Go ahead and take your time; it might take a while to find one that you like."

Piper did take her time, carefully examining each weapon. Percy had no idea what her level of familiarity she had with weapons, so he couldn't tell if she was genuinely examining them or trying to pretend like she was; she was a good enough actor to pull off both.

She eventually pulled out a dagger. "Not that one," Percy warned. Piper gave him a look that was both confused and frustrated; it'd taken her a while to find one that she would have been satisfied with. "That isn't for fighting. It's a ceremonial dagger, used by Helen of Troy."

Piper still looked set on the idea. She took out her pen. 'Then why is it here?'

"Because it's still dangerous. Its name is Katoptris, or Looking Glass. Apparently, if you stare into it, it showed you visions of the future."

'That doesn't sound so bad. That's helpful, right?' Piper wrote.

"Think hard; the future isn't something that should be known to anyone but the Fates; we'd fuck it all up. It ends up showing you something, and then you do everything you can to change it, if it's bad, and then you make it worse…apparently."

'Apparently?'

"It's last holder was driven mad from the visions and trying to resist them. We don't know if they were just naturally crazy, and there's no mention in myth itself of its future-telling power. I wouldn't take the chance."

Piper put it down, freaked out. She continued searching. Eventually, she picked up a pistol. Holding it in her hands, it felt right…well, right enough.

"That one is called…" Percy looked at it. "Anitchó, or Echo."

'Does this one have any vision curses?'

"Not that I know of. It used magical bullets, and doesn't run out of ammo," he explained. Piper smiled, and aimed it a bit. "If I remember correctly, it was a gift from the goddess Artemis, to a daughter of Apollo during the first World War era, where she acted as a man to fight the Greek monsters that had disguised themselves as soldiers, hoping to eat mortal blood in the chaos."

'What happened to her?'

"She was found out, appearing to be slaughtering soldiers, and was hanged."

'You're so full of fun stories, aren't you?'

"Yeah whatever; are you satisfied?" Percy questioned. "Because I thought I was giving you sword training."

Piper thought about it, and soon figured that it would still be useful to have a sword, in case any monsters got through her gun. 'Do I have to pick something from here?' she asked, not finding anything.

"Well, technically no, but it would be easiest if you chose."

'Can something be made?'

"Made as in, like, forged?" Percy crossed his arms. "That…is something you'll have to take up with the Hephaestus cabin, and I don't think they like us very much."

'I can get Jason to relay the message to Leo; he can make it for me.'

"Leo hasn't ever made a-" Percy stopped, seeing the girl bound off. He sighed, remembering his youthful enthusiasm about this life. He also knew where it would lead to. "…Might as well let them enjoy it while they can."

" _Now_ that's _cruel, bro,"_ Riptide said in his head. Percy shrugged, and went to go do his normal morning routine.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Alright, so there we have it; Percy knew about the Romans all along. We still don't know why the two came to the decision that they did, but it'll come with time. And yes, they don't leave on the quest yet. I know. I know, it sucks waiting, but hey, character development, world-building. Writing stuff. Questing is secondary to character/plot progression.**

 **Anyhoo, why don't you guys hit me up with a review? Let me know what you thought? I know I haven't been as responsive as I could've been, but I've been feeling a bit under the weather and swamped with work. I'll try harder in the future; promise.**

 **Anyway, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow!**


	9. Bring Back That Feeling

" _Calm…calm…calm…"_ Jason repeated over and over in his head. He sat at the crest of the hill overlooking camp, nearly against the big oak tree that stood looming over the rest of the valley. Jason wasn't sure why, but he felt most at peace in its presence. " _Peaceful…serenity…"_

Jason needed to be in the right headspace for this quest to lead them to…wherever they were going. He'd spent the entire night after he'd spoken with Chiron just meditating, and much of the next day as well. The rest of the time he'd spent thanking Piper and Leo and Grover. The gods bless them that they agreed to go on this wild goose chase with him.

"Hey, Jason!" Leo's voice entered his ears, breaking his concentration. While he was eternally thankful to have them by his side…Jason did have to admit that it was grating on his nerves when they interrupt him. He kept his calmness, however. He opened his eyes, seeing Leo looking at him funny. "What're you doing?"

"Meditating," Jason said quietly, trying to remain in that serendipitous state of mind.

"Oh, like one of those Shaolin monks in the movies?" Leo's eyes lit up. "Can you do a whole bunch of kickass martial art stunts too?"

Jason frowned. "I can fly, so, probably."

"And dude; you're floating!"

"Leo, I've dive-bombed the Grand Canyon; floating a couple feet off the ground isn't too impressive, comparatively."

The boy shrugged. "Hey, anything I can't do is worth the reaction," he claimed. "So why do you do that anyway?"

"It helps me relax," Jason put it simply. There was more to it than that, though the son of Jupiter wasn't sure he could put it into words. Leo didn't look like he got it, though. Jason had come to find that he didn't understand, or at least bother to learn about, things that didn't involve building stuff, which was fine. If anything, it made him more predictable and helpful; so long as Jason needed something built, he knew who to turn to. "It's like…a state of mind, that help me concentrate on the things that are important, you know?"

"You mean you're mellow-ing out?"

"Yeah, kind of," he admitted. "I mean, sometimes it gives me visions of what I think is my actual past, but usually-"

"So, is there like a special pose, or what? How do we get this whole meditation thing going?" Leo questioned, trying to pull his foot to his opposite thigh, though he couldn't hold it there without physically keeping it in place with his hands.

"N-no, there's not a certain pose; just sit however is comfortable for you," Jason suggested.

He just sat cross legged. "Okay, then what?"

"You close your eyes, try to clear your mind. Thinking about calming things, like running water, soft wind, a crackling…" Jason was about to say fire, but the thought just made him anxious. " _Odd…"_ he thought, feeling his heartrate pick up.

"Ooh, thinking of Piper?" Leo wondered, looking at the son of Jupiter with his goggles slipped over his eyes.

"What?" Jason questioned. "No, it's just…what are you even-" thankfully Leo interrupted before Jason made a fool of himself.

"Your heart's beating at like a mile a minute," Leo pointed out.

"How do you even know that?"

"Dude, these goggles are the coolest thing ever! When I looked at Festus through them, it told me what he was made of to the gram, how much he weighed, where the joints were in his skeleton, and all of this other stuff!"

"And…it told you what my heartrate was?"

"Yep!"

"Okay…" Jason lowered himself to the ground, curious. "What else does it tell you? Anything about where I come from or where I grew up?" he wondered. Leo tilted his head, confused.

"Dude, it's not a magic fortune teller," he said matter-of-factly. Jason's shoulders drooped. "But hey, bro, if you ever need to know if you're eating enough meat, I can tell you your protein intake. It looks like it bases the calculations on the insides of your stomach and blood vessels!"

"Leo…where did you find that?"

"In an old bunker out in the woods," he said. Jason sighed, about to scold him on not wandering far out of camp, as Jason knew for a fact that Leo knew nothing about combat. Then Leo noticed something in the distance. "Speaking of, I should get back there; there's still so much stuff I have to explore! Hey, maybe that's Grover, he can help!" Leo burst up and ran off before Jason could respond. A few seconds later, Piper jogged up the hill.

She stomped her foot in frustration. "What?"

She pulled out her pen and took a deep breath, steadying her hand from the run she just did. 'I saw Leo without his cabinmates, so I thought I might be able to bypass this whole stupid process.'

"What process? What are you even…?" Piper wrote more, causing Jason to trail off. She basically explained that she needed help both designing a sword for her to use, and that she needed Jason to ask Leo to forge it because of the cabin feud. She explained in…many more words than that, to the point that Jason had to stop her because she was over-explaining. "Okay, stop, I got it. So…I don't think we have time to make a sword, Piper."

She furrowed her brow. 'How long does it take?'

"Forging a sword from scratch, with the hilt and all? I'd say five days at the least, maybe more," Jason said.

Piper remained unconvinced. 'This coming from the amnesiac?'

"… _that's a good point. How do I know that?"_ Jason thought. "Just…you're gonna have to believe me on that. I mean, I'll help you draw it out, but…I don't think we should wait any longer than the week."

Piper frowned, but nodded. 'Fine, but we're starting to plan now.'

Jason smiled. "Sure," he said, though inwardly he was lamenting that he wouldn't finish his meditation. The two stood, and made their way to the camp store, where they bought a stack of paper for a ridiculous price, as the Stoll brothers were trying to rob them blind from the charge.

At first, Jason asked Piper what she wanted from the blade. 'Can't I just make a sword?' she wondered.

"Well, there are different kinds of swords, with different weights and styles," he explained, rattling off knowledge he didn't remember learning. "There's the scimitar, a Turkish weapon, a falchion, of European descent, a claymore, and about a thousand other types of swords."

Piper scrunched her nose, uninterested. 'Let's just draw some and see what we come up with?'

"Well, _that_ doesn't seem very efficient," Jason muttered.

'It'll be fun,' she urged. Jason soon relented, and they began drawing separately. Piper wasn't the best artist in the world, but she quickly got the basic design down. She drew several that looked like Jason's, from when she saw him use it at the Canyon, and Percy's, which was what looked like a Xiphos-type blade.

Jason drew several of his own, and his were in much greater detail; he seemed to have had some formal training in drawing before his memories were erased. He tried several different designs, trying to stay fully functional (even as his mind tended to drift away from that notion), but, for whatever reason, his mind kept coming back to the same template.

'A pirate sword?' Piper wrote, seeing him put the finishing touches on it. Jason didn't even consciously realize what he'd been doodling. He took a step back from it, looking at it as a whole.

It was that girl's sword, the one from his visions, whose name started with "R." Jason's head went fuzzy upon realizing it. "Its name is…" he tried desperately to remember. "Tabula Rasa…Clean Slate."

Piper snapped in front of Jason's face a couple of times. She wrote words, but Jason found it hard to read them. 'You look pale. Are you feeling okay?'

Soon enough, the dizziness faded, and Jason was able to focus again. "Y-yeah, I'll be fine," he said. "S-sorry, I guess I…zoned out."

Piper smiled. 'Can you keep going? I haven't found one I like yet.'

Jason nodded. "Yeah, just…" he crumpled up the one with Tabula Rasa on it, and threw it away. "Just ignore that one; it's impractical."

And so, they continued drawing. Eventually, they came up with one that would work and that Piper latched onto. It looked like a cross between a Jian, of China, with the double-edged straight blade, but the guard looked like a folded in wing, with the tip being towards the pommel.

At the last minute, Piper drew in a note: add pocket for my pen if possible. Jason shook his head, but didn't object. "Okay, I'll give it to Leo tonight," Jason said, trying to keep his mind off of that cutlass. Piper nodded, but didn't leave. "Um…don't you…have stuff to do?"

'I'm worried,' she wrote. 'You seemed really disoriented back there.'

Jason chuckled, but it felt hollow. "I'll be fine," he claimed. "Hey, weren't you going to train with Percy?"

'He has other classes.'

"Alright, well what about your chores?"

'What about yours?'

"I'm done mine," Jason claimed. Piper seemed adamant on staying by his side. "…Do you want help?" Piper smiled, stood, and reached for the son of Jupiter's hand, indicating a "yes," and thus Jason was courted off.

xxxXXXxxx

Leo arrived at the Hephaestus cabin to chaos. Festus seemed calm, though, so Leo could bet that it was either that something caught on fire in the cabin, or his cabinmates were throwing a hissy fit. It turned out to be the latter. A crowd was gathered around the backside of the cabin.

"Seriously, guys?" Leo heard Percy. "Come on; the dragon problem got resolved by one of your own; don't you think you've taken this stupid hate-boner thing far enough?"

"Why do you act like their deaths didn't meaning anything?!" Leo heard one guy called. "Without Beckendorf, you would've _never-_ "

"I'm fully aware of what they did," Percy claimed, clearly trying very hard to stay calm. "And it was almost five months ago. We have bigger things to worry about than this."

They ignored him. "And what about all of the secrets you're keeping from us?"

"In my defense, Chiron is doing the same," Percy said nonchalantly, like it was that he had a phone at camp or something arbitrary like that. Leo pushed his way to the front.

"I don't know, guys; he seems pretty alright," he said. Percy didn't show any gratitude for that statement.

"Piper wants you to make her a sword," was all he said.

"Leo, you don't know what we do," Nyssa claimed. "He's a traitor to all of Olympus!"

"See this look of doubt on my face?" Percy smart-allecked.

"I mean, we kind of seem like the aggressors here at camp, don't you think? Maybe we could tone it down is all I'm saying," Leo suggested.

"Impossible."

"Not happening."

"I'm not going to just kiss and make up with a damn murderer."

"Hey, what's with all of this unnecessary language?" another voice came up. Leo turned and saw Grover, who probably noticed the ruckus.

"They're making a big 'nothing burger' out of Percy being here."

"What'd he do?" Grover wondered.

"I waved at them," the son of Poseidon claimed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, well…maybe they can forgive it just this once?" the satyr said.

"Not a chance," Nyssa claimed, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Oh, by the gods, I've had enough of this," Percy threw his hands up in the air and stormed off.

"Yo, Percy!" Grover tried to call him back, but it didn't work. "Yo, Perce, we can work this- and he's gone…"

Slowly, the group of Hephaestus campers dispersed to pursue their own work. Leo quickly found out that the only time they really assembled was either to see the result of a finished project, or to stand up to their perceived enemy, like the Aphrodite cabin or Percy, which is why they drag Leo into the group whenever he approaches either of them.

"So, five months that's been going on, huh?" Leo said. Grover nodded.

"Five months too long," he said. The two found something to do while they talked, going and getting some ice cream. Leo would've _never_ considered eating ice cream in December unless he was at Camp Half-Blood, by the way.

"I heard that their counselors were close, before they died."

Grover chuckled. "Yeah, that's one way to put it…they weren't inseparable, they both liked their space, but they were tight."

"Like…tight-knit, or like uptight?"

"The first one," Grover said. "They were together for two years, which in Half-Blood time, given your tiny life-expectancy, is huge."

"What's the demigod life expectancy?"

"The oldest I've seen one of you get was twenty. Then again, all the others moved far away, so I don't know if they survived. They probably did…probably…maybe," Grover shook his head, realizing he was getting off track, or that Leo had gotten him off track. "Anyway, once Beckendorf found out about Silena being a spy…from what I hear…it didn't go over too well."

"From what you hear? You mean you weren't here? I thought there was a war!"

"There was, but uh…it's a long story. Anyway, it doesn't matter."

"But…yeah it does," Leo said. "You're my friend; I want to know more about you."

Grover seemed surprised by this at first. "A…a-alright, then, um…" he obviously wasn't used to tell the tale. "Well, I guess the first place to start is what a satyr does. Now, apart from going and scouting schools for demigods, one of our main goals, what we lived for basically, was to find the god Pan. Pan was a deity that most people thought was dead, but we nature spirits," Grover chuckled. "We knew what was up. We would search everywhere, literally everywhere. I spent most of the war looking for him, after I went on that quest with Percy and got my Searcher's License."

"Wait, you've been on a quest before?" Leo once again got off track. "What was it like?"

"Oh it was terrible. Short, but terrible," Grover said briefly, before returning to the main topic. "Anyhow, it turned out that the god Pan was in hiding, far away from where any satyr would dare to go, except," he pointed at himself. "Ya boy."

"…Where was he?"

"You know Daedalus, the inventor guy?"

"The wax wing dude?"

"Well, that was his son, but yeah. See he built a Labyrinth underground, which grew and expanded on its own. Pan was down there. Now, caves, and places that aren't above ground are…they're just bad-news-bears for satyrs. And man, it, uh…" Grover whistled. "It took a lot of mental preparation to get my butt down there, but…I found him, eventually and with some help from our new Oracle, and he called on nature's power one last time to save Olympus, before drifting away into the word of nature."

"…What's the word?"

"Hm?"

"What's the word of nature?" Leo repeated. "Is it just 'nature'? Is it 'tree'?"

"No, it's a phrase. Pan's essence returned to the world; _that's_ the word of nature.

"Oh…" Leo trailed off, not fully understanding. "Well, it sounds like you had a rough time."

"Oh, the worst…well, not _the_ worst, but it was easily second-worst."

"What was the worst?" Leo wondered. It didn't even cross his mind that that would've been a bit insensitive if Grover didn't want to talk about it. The satyr did relay the tale, however.

"It was…" Grover's voice was slower this time, more deliberate and forced. This _was_ a traumatic memory. "It was in my early years as a watcher, where I scout schools. I didn't scout a school this time, though. I found three demigods on the streets, travelling together. I caught the scent of more, along with the smell of monsters. We went to help them, and we did; the demigod kids escaped, but…but we were the monster's dinner…It was the only time I thought I was gonna die."

"…What monster?" Leo asked hesitantly, knowing that he was bringing up painful memories. "Y-you don't have to answer," he added hastily.

"It was…a Cyclops," Grover shivered upon saying it. "I just…phew…that's just…ooh…" he couldn't even put it into words. "Against any other monster, I'm good. Against heights, against Hades himself, I'm golden, but man…don't _ever_ make me go against one of those one-eyed freaks again."

Leo nodded, but didn't say anything. He only thought back to his encounters with Festus and that wind thing; he'd frozen. Would a Cyclops do that to Grover?

"But whatever, it's in the past, I guess," the satyr shrugged, trying to pass it off. "Hey, Lee, what's up?"

"Hm?" Leo had zoned out.

"You look like you saw a ghost or something."

Leo shook his head and grinned. "Nothing; just thinking about the awesome time we'll have on our quest!"

Grover smirked. "Heh, right. Hey, you wanna go check out some more of that bunker?"

"Do I ever!"

xxxXXXxxx

A few days passed, and with each passing one, Piper had less and less energy in her body. " _He's working me too hard,"_ she found herself thinking a lot as sweat poured down her face and arms, her muscles burning with exertion as she swung her practice blade endlessly against both Percy and a dummy.

"Sloppy," Percy said upon her finishing her exercise. "Lower your center of gravity; your form is starting to break," Piper could only nod and wheeze. "Take a two-minute and try again," he said. Upon hearing that, the daughter of Aphrodite all but collapsed onto the ground, resting her sore limbs.

It wasn't that Percy was a harsh teacher, he just didn't know when to quit, and Piper was too stubborn to tell him that she needed more breaks. He worked her the entire time he had her, all four hours a day, from six in the morning to ten, usually. Sometimes until noon, even.

Piper didn't get the sense that she was improving either. She was learning poses and stances and how to properly swing the sword, but she never got any better at fighting Percy. He was too good for her to even thinking about besting, even if she continued like this for a year, which is accurate, as he told her that he'd been doing this level of training since he was fourteen. So, four years was when she could expect to beat him, if she turned out to be as naturally talented as he was which was a one in a million chance.

Great.

Piper shuffled to the edge of the arena, where there were four gallons of water lined up, two for each of them. She took a swig of one before standing and twisting her back and returning to her exercise.

A few hours later, and Percy let her stop. "Alright, that's enough. You're too tired to continue today," he said. Piper collapsed again, feeling as if each breath didn't provide enough oxygen, even in her deepest inhale. Percy sat beside her, against the wall, probably conserving his energy for his classes later that day. "Today was good. You've improved," he claimed. Piper took a minute to respond, fishing out her pen.

'I don't feel like I've gotten much better,' she wrote. Percy didn't have his flashlight, so it took him a while to read it.

"Well, you have. Trust me. Maybe one of these days I'll get someone else to get up at the ass-crack of yesterday to spar with you."

Piper smiled at the wording; so informal. She tried writing in Greek again; she'd been practicing. 'I think about what say," she wrote.

Percy looked at the text for a minute. "What?"

'About campers fighting as Greeks.'

Percy nodded. "Alright…what about it?"

'They do not.'

Percy frowned. "You haven't seen them in the face of a real threat," he claimed. "Just write in English; your Greek is still too broken up."

'I thought this feud began after the Titan War. You don't know if they'll cooperate when it's going on, especially when they haven't done so in the face of Festus running amok.'

After Percy read the words, which was an agonizingly slow process, he considered them. "…I suppose we'll have to wait and find out, then," he said, shrugging, not thinking much of it.

'I think you should try to unify them. You're their leader, definitively.'

He chuckled. "Yeah, that's not how the Hephaestus cabin sees it."

'But you should still try,' Piper insisted. 'You have to try, or no one will. This will go on and keep escalating until someone gets hurt.'

"I doubt that," Percy said, though he didn't sound too sure of his response. "What would you have me do? I've tried working it out with Hephaestus, and they want nothing to do with me."

'Make them think like Greeks, and not like cabins,' Piper suggested, finally getting to convey these random thoughts she'd had over the past few days. 'Think about America. They're made up of fifty states which all have a lot of state pride. They're both Americans and citizens of whatever state they live in.'

Another slow wait as he read it. "But that took hundreds of years to get that kind of unity, and countless disasters; 9/11 and Katrina happened in just the past two decades."

'You had the Titan War, and it brought you together,' she offered. 'Find a way to bring back that feeling. Ask around, see what people most remember that kept them fighting, that kept them pushing through.'

Percy nodded, seeming to consider the idea genuinely, instead of writing it off as too much work as Piper might have thought he would do. "…I'll…tell you what; you do that part, and I'll think about the rest," he suggested. Piper frowned. "Okay, number one, you can persuade people to tell you if you have to, number two, I have classes after I train you, all the way until dinner; when am I gonna have the time?"

" _Fair points,"_ Piper thought, before she nodded, agreeing to the suggestion.

"Speaking of, I've got one in a couple minutes. Are you good? Do you need to stay and rest?" he asked, standing. The daughter of Aphrodite stood as well, and shook her head.

" _I'm heading straight for the showers,"_ she thought. Percy waved her goodbye, and she left to do just that.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey all! Let me know what you guys thought in a review!**

 **I'll see you guys tomorrow; sorry for a short one today.**


	10. Conquer Or Die

All too soon, the day of departure arrived. Most of camp saw the quadruplet off in some form or another. The Hephaestus cabin threw Leo a small party the night before, the Aphrodite cabin actually saw them off, Grover's girlfriend even came to see him go.

So there they were, sent off to nowhere, in simple street clothes. Grover had his fake shoes and a shirt and jeans. Leo had his vest and goggles, wearing a white button-up shirt underneath and solid worker's pants which made his legs actually look like they had some girth to them. Piper had her scarf, though instead of her white jacket, she took a simple mint green sweatshirt and jeans, though she'd brought extra blankets for the cold, along with her pink scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. Jason himself found a dark purple shirt at the camp store, something about the color felt right to wear for the quest, and black jeans.

It was decided that they would ride on Festus, both by Leo and Jason. Jason claimed that he'd had a vision the night he arrived that he 'must not be the only one to fly,' which he assumed to have meant Festus.

And so, they started flying in a vaguely western path, following Winona's advice. "So…what's our flight path?" Leo wondered, curious given how he was the flyer. They had to sit single-file, Leo, Grover, Piper, and finally Jason; Festus could carry five people. Well, technically he could carry a lot more, but Leo had only installed seats for five, which he did so within the plate scales of the dragon's original design.

"Not sure," Jason admitted. "In the end, I guess it doesn't matter."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the prophecy will come true whatever we do."

"It's always best to go in with a plan," Grover pointed out. "I can speak from experience that not knowing where you're going or what you're doing is the worst feeling ever on one of these things."

"Oh yeah, you _did_ go on a quest once, didn't you?" Leo said. "What did you do? Was it cool?"

"It prevented a war between Zeus and Poseidon, when Zeus' Master Bolt was stolen. It turned out to be this huge conspiracy involving the Titans," he explained. "But we had a destination, even if it turned out to be a red herring."

"Okay, so…any ideas?"

Piper and Grover looked back to Jason, the quest's leader. He felt their expectations and wanted so badly to meet them. He began brain-storming. "Well…the ventus at the Canyon had to retreat, right? Long shot; maybe we need to track it?"

Piper nodded. When she pulled out her pen to write, the ink stayed in place, despite the wind. With her not having to shout, communicating with her was actually easier than with the others. 'Do we have an idea of where it was going? What direction did it go?'

"…Drawing a blank," Grover said, with the others soon agreeing. "But if we need to track a wind spirit, the best one to do it is a wind god."

"I thought that Zeus fella was the god of the wind?" Leo thought out loud.

"No, my father is the god of the sky," Jason said. "Of lightning, and storms, and honor, and justice," Jason said those last parts more reverentially. It was those aspects that he found himself trying to latch onto as his son. "There are four gods of the winds, right? One for each of the cardinal directions?"

'If they're stationed in America, then we'd be closest to the eastern one, right' Piper suggest.

"There isn't really one," Grover claimed. "Sometimes it's Eurus, sometimes it's Apeliotes. It's confusing."

Jason nodded. "Then what about North? Aquilon? No, what's his…Greek, name…?"

"Aqualung?" Leo suggested.

"Boreas," Grover said. "He's in Quebec; he's the closest."

"Sounds like a good a plan as any," Leo said, veering their steed in the right direction. Soon, it felt to the son of Hephaestus that the dragon knew where it was going.

A few hours later, quite literally, they arrived. By that time, time had advanced to nightfall, meaning the air was _much_ colder, to Piper and Grover anyway. Leo and Jason seemed fine. When they arrived, they were stopped by two guys. One, a jock, the other, a nerd-lord. Well, they weren't really "guys" per-se, but rather they bore a striking resemblance to Jack Frost from Legend of the- no, Rise of the Guardians…though, the one with the owls isn't too far off either.

They both looked around the demigods' ages, seventeen-ish, with snow white hair that looked like unkempt bedhead, and wings protruding from their backs. Their wings weren't just wings either; they were magical, because they allowed them to hover in place.

They came up to the demigods without a word and at lightning speed, startling them enough to make them stop. The nerd-lord took out a clipboard and started examining them, one by one. "Uh…" Jason didn't know whether he should talk or not. "How are you doing tonight?"

Leo stifled a laugh. " _You have the chance to make an impression and_ that's _what you've got?"_ he thought. Though, with the slight noise, the nerd-lord went to him next. He got all up in Leo's face as well, scouring over every inch. Eventually he backed away. "Cool, so…snow-chickens," the son of Hephaestus said. "Okay, torch 'em, buddy," Leo pat Festus' head. Jason could feel its neck heat up.

"Wait, wait!" Jason pleaded, making the dragon stop before it breathed fire. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Mm, you," the nerd-lord floated over to Jason. "You look familiar. State your name or face punishment."

"Punishment?" Leo grimaced.

"Jason Grace, son of Jupiter," he announced, hoping the title would have some weight with these people. Instead, they looked disgusted.

" _Jupiter_?!" the nerd-lord said it like it was the Star Wars prequels. He exchanged a look with his friend, clearly conflicted. "Very well, then."

The snow-chickens descended and flew into a cliff face, which opened up into a big hangar-like doorway, big enough for Festus to enter. Jason felt weary about it though; the way his father's name was said, it felt…off. It was difficult to describe.

"Keep your guard up," Jason warned, with Piper taking out Echo. Festus made a low creaking sound, like a growl. The snow chickens avoided the dragon, for good reason; Festus could've torched them easily upon Leo's orders.

Once they landed, they were met with the two chickens from before, along with a new person. The woman before them was unlike anything they'd seen before. Her beauty rivalled those of the children of Aphrodite, though her skin had a very pale complexion. She held the same white hair, though hers was silky and long. She had a dress on that looked like she ripped it straight off of Elsa from Frozen, only without the whimsy that Elsa got from putting it on during Let It Go.

The four questers slid off of Festus. The woman examined them all thoroughly, just as the two chickens had in the air. Speaking of, the chickens themselves were making faces at the questers behind their backs. "Zethes, Cal, stop that!" the woman snapped upon noticing. The two snapped to attention. "State your business," she demanded of the four.

Jason stepped forward. "We're here to speak to Lord Aquilon," he said, trying to sound confident, though he wasn't sure how successful her was. This woman's eyes were something from a fantasy, almost completely white, but a pale white, like snow, clearly distinct within her iris.

"I gathered. What would you ask of my father?"

"Your father?" Leo said. "You're dad's a god? No way, so is mine!"

Without moving a muscle, the woman summoned a deadly sharp knife of ice, holding it up to Leo's eye with her mind. "One does not simply flirt with a goddess, mortal."

"G-goddess?" Leo muttered, his voice shaking. "I-I didn't…I-I'm-"

"Can we roll it back a bit?" Grover requested. "My friends here are new to whole demigod gig. I'm sure he meant no disrespect, milady."

The woman got a slight glint in her eye as she willed away the ice knife, or knice, if you will. "Well, I see at least one of you has some proper manners. Very well, the son of Jupiter may enter my father's court."

"With all due respect, I'd prefer if they came along with me."

"I do not care what you 'prefer', boy," the woman claimed, her eyes lowering into a dangerous glare.

"What harm will it do?" Leo wondered.

"You could do _much_ harm," she accused the son of Hephaestus. "If you are to bring a companion, so be it. He will stay," he eyes remained focused on Leo. The boy couldn't tell if it was rage or envy in her eyes when she looked at him.

The four looked at each other, and then huddled quietly together. "What's the play?" Grover asked. Eyes turned to Jason, leader of the quest.

"…Leo can't come, I think she's made that clear. But…"

"Please don't leave me alone with her," Leo begged. Jason gave him a look of sympathy; the kid looked too scared to even move, after being threatened so bluntly by a goddess that cold.

"That's what I'm thinking. I know she's a goddess and all, but something about this place is giving me the wrong feeling."

"I'll stay with him," Grover offered. "Piper can go with you. Worst case scenario, she Charmspeaks."

Piper inwardly grimaced. Outwardly, she nodded, looking determined. Jason was the only one that saw her react poorly, with a little twitch in her lip. The four separated from their huddle, and faced the goddess. "We're ready," Jason said, explaining that Leo and Grover would stay behind with Festus. Well, not really; Leo found a button where Festus compressed into a rolling suitcase. The woman led them away to what she called a waiting room.

Meanwhile, Zethes led them through a series of hallways, to a throne room. Along the way, Jason felt Piper grip his hand, sticking very close for reassurance. Jason did his best to give it to her, leaning down to her ear. "Worst case scenario," he said, remembering how heavily it weighed on her mind when she used her powers. "Don't worry; things will work out," he claimed.

They entered the throne room, with it being _way_ too long for the tiny seat that lay before them. Upon the seat, which was actually huge (it just looked small from the other end of the hallway), was a bearded man who looked like a mix Santa Claus and a tornado, with his beard and hair made up a rapid winds and ice.

Once they got to the throne, the man willed away the snow-chicken. He gave them a hard stare-down. Jason figured that it must run in the family. "Lord Aquilon," Jason addressed the god, bowing his head respectfully. Piper, subsequently, bowed her head.

"It is unwise to refer to this form by that name, son of Jupiter," he said, his voice booming, threatening, yet almost jovial in a way. This guy was _definitely_ a Santa Claus.

"Lord Boreas, then?" Jason wondered, though the god ignored him.

"Though that _is_ odd, isn't it? You have been a Roman demigod for twelve years, and yet your presence, compared to your partner, isn't Roman enough to force a change in me. Peculiar…"

Jason blinked, not having been aware that that was how it worked. "I thought gods just picked which form they assumed."

"We do, to an extent," he explained briefly. "Though we have some control, it most often deals with the balance of Roman versus Greek power in the world. With this metric, though, I suppose it isn't a surprise that you don't hold enough sway; there would have to be at least a dozen of you. But even still…"

"Even still what?" Jason questioned, finding it almost insulting that the god would imply he wasn't 'Roman' enough.

"That I'm feeling absolutely nothing from your presence is a bit…disconcerting."

"Now, wait just a-" Jason was about to do something incredibly reckless. Piper stopped him, tugging at his arm and giving him a stern look, as if saying "you have a job to do." Jason tried to take a mental step back, inhaling and exhaling to regain himself. He tried again. "Apologies," he began. "Lord Boreas, we come seeking aid, if you can provide it."

The god's expression didn't change as Jason went along.

"We were attacked by a ventus, or a…" he couldn't remember the Greek name. "A storm spirit. It retreated, and we need to figure out where it went."

"And why in all the heavens and earth would I help you?"

"Well…you serve the gods, right?" Jason recalled. "We believe that Juno, or…Hera is in trouble, and finding the ventus is the first step to helping her."

"And yet you yourself sound unconvinced," Boreas commented. Jason bit his lip.

" _Got me there…"_ he thought, though he _had_ to persuade this god to help. "Please, if there's any chance-"

"I'll tell you what, boy," the god raised a finger. "I'll set up a little task for you. If you can complete this task, then I'll help out."

"But-"

"It wouldn't be wise for one of your stature to argue," Boreas warned. Jason, once again, bit his lip. With a wave of his hand, the god summoned a horse. Well, it wasn't really a horse; it just looked like one. It was actually a small lightning storm in the shape of a horse, some variant on a natural wind spirit. Either way, Jason was glad it was caged up in a cell of ice. "This is Tempest. He is an unruly one, and a spirit that refuses my control. You are to tame this beast. If you do so, I will tell you who called back the Anemoi Thuellai you encountered.

"Tame?" Jason questioned. "But…" he gave a glance at Tempest. His eyes were solid red, the deepest red that shared its color with blood; this beast wasn't tamable. "It's…wild."

"And?" Boreas questioned.

"Piper…don't get too close," Jason warned as Boreas lowered the side of the cage that faced the son of Jupiter. He inched closer, trying not to startle him. "Easy…easy…" he muttered, inching ever closer. Boreas began to laugh as he drew close. Right as Jason's focus waned because of it, Tempest struck, rearing back and kicking, the force sending a concussive wind, blasting even Jason back from its force.

He landed on his butt, hard, and slid a good ten feet on the floor, which had the consistency of ice. When he stood, Tempest had exited the cage, and was stomping his hoof onto the ice in challenge.

"I-I…I don't want to hurt you," Jason tried to stay calm, but the fear was evident in his voice. " _You aren't supposed to be afraid,"_ he thought. " _You're supposed to be their fearless leader."_

The thought steadied his breathing, especially with Piper watching. He couldn't show that weakness, not here. He inched closer, reaching his hand up to touch Tempest's face. When Jason got close, he attacked again. Jason managed to roll out of the way this time, and instinctively took out Ivlivs, but Tempest was fast, kicking Jason was he rolled and knocking the coin out of his hands before he could flip it.

The beast charged soon after, forcing Jason to run. He broke into a sprint and then leapt onto the wind, shredding for his life. He knew this creature was out for blood, and so he didn't dare look back. Jason didn't have to; he could feel the horse's breath on his neck.

"It's uncharacteristic of a Roman to turn tail and run!" Boreas mocked the boy, but he didn't care. Jason weaved around Tempest's erratic strikes, evading them with a precision that Jason must've developed over the course of years. He took a chance, but it didn't play out. He was going to come to an abrupt stop, and will the wind to parry Tempest's charge, but it seemed that even the wind held the horse in higher favor, as Tempest wasn't even affected by Jason's.

The boy was knocked back again, landing and rolling hard into a pillar of ice, cracking it. He only saw Tempest for a split second, barreling toward him at blinding speed. It was just enough for him to scream in terror, before Boreas willed another cage to form around the wind spirit.

Jason let out a labored breath as Piper knelt down beside him. "I…I can't do it…" he managed, still shaken.

"Tch, a shame," Boreas said. "Would you care to give it another go? Perhaps this time without the training wheels?"

"N-no, I…" Jason trailed off. " _This is your_ only _lead,"_ he reminded himself. "I need time. Time to…think, to prepare myself. I just wasn't ready," he bluffed. The god seemed to buy it, however, and nodded.

"I'll have rooms prepared, but I hope you mortals brought jackets."

xxxXXXxxx

The night was an uncomfortable one, but Jason didn't care. He didn't really sleep either. He spent the night meditating, praying desperately for a solution to his problem. He prayed to Zeus and Jupiter, to Juno and Hera, and to the rest of the gods individually in both their Greek and Roman aspects, but he got an answer from none of them.

Instead, Jason was pulled into another vision. Though, vision might not be the right word to describe this experience, as it was distinct from the other two. While they were memories, this was a message, a sign.

Jason found himself in a ruined courtyard. There were several things that stuck out to him. One was a blond girl, separate from the one in his memories, floating unconscious in a human-sized ball of light. Jason had absolutely no idea who she was or why she was there, but there was another woman, standing close beside the blond girl, holding her hands out as if exuding some sort of power. Jason saw chains, golden chains, wrapped around the woman's waist and down her legs. "Juno," Jason said, though she didn't hear him.

He was dragged away before he could reach out and get her attention, to outside the courtyard, where there was this burned-down mansion. "You forget yourself, pup," he heard. Well, not really; it was more like he felt the words enter him. The feeling brought both warmth and fear to his heart.

"Mother…" he muttered subconsciously, turning to face her. She was a wolf, much larger than normal ones. She stood a good five feet taller than Jason when sitting to look at him. Her eyes were heterochromatic, one was golden, one was sky blue. Jason felt a connection to her because of this; he shared the blue in his eyes, and the gold in his weapons. Perhaps it was intentional, before he'd lost his memories? "Y-you're…?" he held his head, blanking on the wolf's name.

She seemed dissatisfied. "Surely the goddess hasn't done so thorough a job to make you forget me?"

"…Lupa," Jason said, remembering. "The Romans' Mother. I could never forget you," he said. It felt genuine when he said it, even when he knew it was a lie. The wolf relaxed a bit and waited, listening to Jason. "Please Mother, I need your help."

"I'm aware of your situation, pup," Lupa said. "But I will not aid you."

"But…why? Surely you know of a solution?"

"I do. Though, perhaps it isn't right to say I won't provide aid, when I cannot."

"What are you…?" Jason noticed the blood. It was dripping through her fur, coming from her back and one of her hind legs, along with a gash on her stomach. " _How didn't I notice the wounds?"_

"I mean this in more than one way, pup," Lupa said. "You already have everything you need, more than I can provide you."

"But…"

"You remember what I told you, when I first found you here to be trained?" she wondered, and for a moment her voice became soft. "I told you a phrase."

"I'm...I'm sorry, but...I don't remember it."

"Of course not!" Lupa snarled. "Because I had never told you!" Jason recoiled at her outburst, but did his best to hold his ground. Soon, she seemed to calm down. "It was a phrase every true Roman knows already. You know it."

"How could I, when I don't even remember where I came from?" Jason questioned, though he quickly caught himself. Inwardly, he cursed, knowing that the Greeks' looser tongues have rubbed off on him. "I mean..." he bowed. "My apologies. Who did this to you?"

"It matters not; you'll face these horrors soon enough. The task at hand, pup," she reminded him. "You remember the first lesson I imparted to you, all those years ago?"

Jason thought back, struggling to remember. Somehow, he could tell that this wasn't a trick question, like the last time. "…Conquer or die," he recited. "Your motto."

"Indeed. You are a Roman. You conquer, or you perish. You defend your domain, or you perish. If you cannot accomplish this task," she bared her fangs. "Then you are unfit to have ever been called my child," she growled, standing, looming over Jason. His heartrate picked up, and he prayed that she couldn't hear it.

Whether she did or not, her attention was torn away. Jason also noticed a disturbance. "Intruders?" he questioned. Lupa's eyes darted from side to side. "Mother, you're hurt. Let me fight them!" Lupa didn't listen, or perhaps couldn't hear him anymore. She turned and pounced off, right as a swarm of venti raced toward her, toward where Juno was. "Mother? Mother!" Jason called, but he found he was being pulled out from the vision.

xxxXXXxxx

"Mother!" Jason cried, shooting back into the real world in a frenzy. Piper rushed to his side, with Leo and Grover soon behind.

"Hey man, you good?" Grover questioned. Jason nodded shakily, though he felt like he was about to throw up. He felt as terrible as when he first came out of a vision, extremely fatigued.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Leo asked, holding up his middle finger. Piper swatted them away, and helped the son of Jupiter to his feet.

"What did you see?" Grover asked.

"I saw…I saw what I need to do," he said, feeling an intense obligation to complete Boreas' task, now that he knew Lupa was in trouble.

"You sure?" Leo questioned, seeming to show genuine concern. "You don't look so good, man."

"I'm _fine_!" Jason snapped, letting out a small burst of wind from his body. Looking back, he felt bad to have done so, but at the time, his mind was only focused on one thing. Well, two things. He felt that burning desire, and he also felt how wrong it was to act solely on it. He marched to Boreas' throne, with his friends hot on his heels, where the god was waiting with Tempest in the cage. "Let it out," Jason demanded, a bit too hastily in retrospect. Boreas smirked, seeming either impressed or amused with Jason's newfound confidence. Jason's stomach turned when the spirit was released. Seeing Jason's new demeanor, it didn't try the whole waiting around thing. Instead, it immediately darted around him and blazing speeds. The son of Jupiter took a deep breath. "Conquer or die…" he muttered, with each word feeling like poison; there was something so inherently flawed in them. And yet Jason found himself following them, because he was a Roman.

Jason leapt into the air, carried on the winds. He willed with all of his power for Tempest to obey him, landing on the spirit's back and gripping around his neck and snout, keeping his mouth shut. Jason hung on upside down, or right-side up, depending on Tempest's orientation, as the wind horse flailed and writhed as he resisted the son of Jupiter.

"You may live in the wind, but it's still _my_ domain!" he roared. " _No, it's not! It's father's!"_ he screamed in his head, but his actions spoke true; cocky, selfish, dominant.

With a final push, as Jason willed the winds to all freeze, Tempest settled. Jason ended up on his back, feeling light-headed from using his powers in such a foreign way. Boreas clapped. "Very good, very good, Aduro," he claimed. Jason's anger flared; a deep, profound rage that transcended even his reverence of the gods.

" _Don't_ call me that!" he roared, sending a piercing wind toward the god, who dispersed it with little effort. Instead of being insulted, however, the god looked proud. His form even started to flicker, called to his Roman aspect by Jason's show. Jason soon regained himself, and the flickering faded. "I…I'm so sorry, Lord Boreas. I didn't mean any disrespect."

"None taken, boy," the god waved it off. "Very well, you've done your part. That ventus is beholden to a sorceress, stationed in the mortal city of Chicago, the city of wind. Fits, doesn't it?"

"Is that where the prophecy will come true?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not. This sorceress, while powerful, is but an ant compared to what you'll have to face. You'll need all the help you can get, boy. Retrieve those wind spirits and then seek out my direct master, Aeolus, and deliver them. He will know where to turn afterward," Boreas offered. "In addition, that spirit now claims you as his master; call him whenever you need his aid. I fear it will be very soon."

Jason nodded. "Thank you, Lord Boreas," he willed Tempest away, who disappeared in a cloud which then dispersed. "Then we'll leave you in peace."

With that, the four demigods, headed south west, toward Chicago. Of course, along the way, everything went wrong.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! This is Hikaridewd54 from the future, writing House of Hades, who got a really good idea for a impact point and decided to make a minor change in this chapter to set it up. Sorry about that, so if I was going to say anything specific in this one, sorry...again.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading, and keep on!**


	11. I Need A Hero

It felt wrong. Not just Boreas' tears into Jason's lack of "Roman-ness," but also that Jason had to use such a tactic to accomplish his task, that he did so on a purely emotional reaction, just…everything. Everything felt wrong about that encounter.

He also noticed that the others hadn't spoken much afterward. "Is there a reason?" he wondered of them as they flew. Piper and Grover, who were sitting behind him, avoided his look back to them.

"You're pretty scary when you wanna be," Leo said up front. "Definitely can't look at you the same way again."

"But…guys, come on; it was a one-time thing," he claimed. "I don't know what came over me, it was just this…"

"Hey man, it's cool," Grover said. "Happens to Percy all the time; just take some time to cool your head."

" _Great, so I'm starting to act like that psychopath,"_ Jason thought, frowning. Then he noticed something. "Um…why are we falling?"

"We're landing; Festus is running out of fuel," Leo explained.

"Magic metal dragons can run out of fuel?" Jason questioned. Leo didn't respond, and the others just shrugged, taking his word for it. "Alright, um…"

"We're over Detroit," Leo claimed. "I can find an abandoned car depot; there oughta be some supplies there I could use," he flashed a grin behind him.

"Wow…" Jason said.

"What?"

"Well, you _really_ good at this, is all," the son of Jupiter mentioned. Leo shrugged.

"Well, if I can't fight, I might as well be able to contribute as your taxi service," he joked, though Jason could tell it bothered him that we wasn't doing more.

"N-no, I didn't mean it like that, I-"

"Dude, relax," Leo said, exasperated. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"R-right…" Jason awkwardly ended the conversation as they landed. The group slid off the dragon's neck, and looked around where they were.

"Monocle Industries...huh…" Leo mentioned, beginning to work on Festus.

"Gotta wonder why they went out of business, a site this big," Grover agreed. Piper got Jason's attention, and pointed up at the moon.

The son of Jupiter nodded. "Let's camp here for tonight," he said. "Leo, keep working on Festus; make sure he's ready to go for tomorrow. Grover, can you set up camp?"

"Sure thing. What are you gonna do then?"

"Call me paranoid, but I don't exactly trust this big of a place without checking it. Piper, do you want to come with me?" The girl jumped when Jason said her name, and nodded too quickly. "Piper...you don't have to come if you don't want to."

The girl shook her head and grinned, but it felt fake. It was something in her eyes, a kind of weariness toward him. Jason quickly realized that he'd read her emotion by her eyes, and figured he must be getting to know her better. The thought was bittersweet, as it seemed her feelings toward him have receded somewhat.

Once they were alone, Jason decided to bring it up. "Hey," he started, feeling awkward about the whole thing. "About what happened, back with Lord Boreas...I'm sorry if I frightened you," She gave him something of a quizzical look. She took out her pen, but Jason guessed what she would say. "It's just...I'm supposed to be the leader, you know? I just wanted to fill that role. I wanted to protect you, like I-"

She punched him in the side. Aside from the fact that he wasn't expecting the blow, she also packed much more of a punch than he expected, knocking the breath out of him. She took out her pen. 'I don't like you because you protect me,' she wrote, her brows tucked into a scowl. 'I like you because you're not a thug.'

"I'm…sorry?"

She walked ahead a bit, and continued writing. 'I like you because you cared about me even when you lost your memories. I like you because you're a softie.'

Jason recalled the girl's words, the one from his dream, when she described an idealist. "P-Piper, I…" he wanted to spill his heart out to her, about how wrong he felt acting as Lupa would have him act. He wanted to tell her that she was right, and that he didn't mean to scare her, again. She probably would've punched him again, but neither got the chance, as a clanking was heard, like metal on metal.

They both froze, and turned toward the sound. Piper drew Echo and cocked the gun. Jason summoned Ivlivs as quietly as possible, with it appearing as a sword. He inwardly cursed; in this life-or-death situation, he would've preferred the spear. "Wait here," he said. "I'll check it out; it's probably just a rat knocking something over."

Piper nodded and watched him leave, almost thankful, as it gave her time to think. She couldn't say that she was scared of Jason from back at Boreas' palace, as he didn't do anything that was worthy of scaring her. Instead, she felt a strange sense of disappointment. It was a mix of that and a sense of being disturbed. True, he'd never acted like that before, not even in her fake memories, but it was more a sense that he'd been hiding that side of himself, that he didn't trust her to see that side of him more often.

" _Maybe he had a reason to hide it, though…"_ she thought, blowing her hair from her eyes where it had fallen. After all, he was able to accomplish a feat that he couldn't before, when he revealed that side of himself. Maybe there was something to that…maybe…

Piper didn't get the chance to dwell on it, as she heard another clang, this one louder. Jason had been gone for a few minutes without calling back to her. She inched into the darkness. Her footsteps echoed on the metal, and they were all Piper heard for what felt like an eternity.

"Piper?" she heard him a bit farther down. He sounded scared, like he had when first faced with Tempest at the palace. His voice was shaky, but Piper couldn't figure out why. "Piper, don't come any closer!"

She froze, heeding his warning. Big mistake.

From the shadow beside her, Piper was grabbed, her arms and legs pinned as she was clasped and lifted up with two meaty hands. "Got her!" Jason said from the creature's mouth. It cleared its throat. "Oi, sorry 'bout that!" its voice shifted. Gruff, husky, like a drinker. "Got her!"

"Alright!" another one walked into view, as tall as the one that caught Piper. In his hands was Jason's unconscious. Her heartrate picked up, and her fear rose, upon seeing that Jason was bested or tricked or both, to where even her voice caught. Then the creatures' faces were revealed to her as they stepped into the light.

They were disgusting creatures, vaguely humanoid, but about three times taller than Jason, and with one big bloodshot eye, with a big, gluttonous grin plastered on their faces. For the first time, Piper realized the gravity of the life of a demigod.

xxxXXXxxx

Grover and Leo heard a scream about half an hour after the others left. The two stood upon hearing it, knowing it came from Piper. "They're in trouble?" Leo questioned.

"Sounds like it," Grover kicked his fake feet off and readied his crutch-staff.

"What're we gonna do?"

"Well," Grover considered. "I'm your protector. I'll protect you guys, right?"

"Since when were you our 'protector'?"

"Since I was born a satyr," Grover said. "You should hang back. See if you can get Festus working again. If I'm not back in five minutes, you run with the dragon and come back for us once you have him on your side, you got me?"

"But…" Leo felt it was a solid plan, but that didn't stop the feeling of being left out, of being deemed something to 'protect'. Before he could voice concern, however, Grover was gone.

Another couple of minutes passed when another a massive crash was heard from the facility. Leo was about to go in, but then he stopped, second, third, and fourth-guessing himself. "He said to run," the son of Hephaestus muttered. "But he's in trouble," he said a few seconds later. Leo scratched his head in frustration, getting his fingers tangled in the curly mess.

Ultimately, Leo decided that he had to go help Grover. Protector or not, Grover was his friend, and he wasn't going to just leave him to help Jason and Piper alone. Even then, Leo's knees threatened to buckle beneath him at the thought of facing down another malfunctioning Festus or something equally as terrifying. Just the thought of it caused embers to come from his skin, his power threatening to burst from his fear.

" _Stop that,"_ he told himself. " _You're_ way _better than that."_

In the end, Leo found a small duct to squeeze through, thanking his mother for a tiny body. He managed to pull himself up to higher ground, up to some scaffolding. He followed this towards the sounds that were being made more and more frequently, until he saw a fire. It was difficult to make out until he got closer, but he eventually saw that it was a fire spit, like you'd see in a cartoon where they roast the pig, spinning it real slowly.

Around the first were three huge guys, though Leo couldn't see their faces because of the angle he was at. Two of them were about fifteen feet tall, and the other towered over them. Leo didn't even want to think out a number, for fear of…well, because of his fear.

Leo slipped on his goggles and zoomed in to the scene. Thankfully, they weren't cooking anything yet, but Leo saw two figured dangling back-to-back with chains wrapped around them, suspended by their ankles; Jason and Piper. Jason looked to be fine, if not for a large bump on his forehead and the fact that he was unconscious, the lazy ass. Piper seemed to be having a much more unpleasant time.

One of the guys kept poking her. With his size and strength, each one must've felt like a punch to the gut. "Come on," the creature prodded, poking her again. "Make a scream. It's more fun when you scream."

Piper held her tongue, trying her best not to make a noise. It would've been giving in; she figured that much out when she yelped the first time and he hadn't stopped doing it, hoping to get a bigger reaction. The pain in her ribs was enough to make her cry, hard, upside-down.

Leo lowered himself a bit, trying to collect some form of coherent thought, but all he could think about was how hopeless this mission was. He couldn't help them; Jason was the son of Jupiter and he was taken out so quickly. Leo wrapped his arms around himself, feeling the metal around him heat up from his presence. " _No,"_ he thought, trying to calm himself. " _You'll give yourself away."_

He focused on the information his goggles gave him. When he focused on the railing, it listed the elements that were found, and all of the compounds that were present. When he looked at the wall past that, it told him its distance from him and also what it was made of. The little useless things helped him relax, oddly enough.

Leo took another peek toward the fire spit scene. " _No Grover,"_ the son of Hephaestus thought. " _Good sign."_

Leo made his way closer, as much as his instincts told him to turn tail and run. He was actually surprised they didn't hear him, as his knees were shaking so hard that he was making the scaffolding sway a bit. On his way, he noticed a crane which the monsters were using to suspend Piper and Jason.

" _If I can get to the controls, maybe I can get them down. Then at least you won't be alone,"_ Leo thought. " _Yeah, and then we could all die together!"_ another part of him thought of the plan, but it was all he had.

He dropped down and inched closer to the controls. Leo peered around the corner to see if the coast was clear, when he froze, looking at the monsters' faces. One eye.

Cyclopes.

Just then, a door slammed open. "Hey!" Grover stormed in. He tried to look tough, but his knees were shaking even worse than Leo's. His eyes were buggy with terror, and his arms barely had the strength to holding up his crutch-staff. "Y-you…y-you b-better let t-them g-go!" Grover called, holding his weapon up to them in a mildly annoying way.

The three Cyclopes exchanged a look to each other, and then bust out laughing. "Oi, look, the little goat-boy wants to play hero!" the biggest one stood, looming over Grover as if he was an ant. "Oi, don't you wanna crawl out o' here? Yer shakin' like a leaf," she teased.

"I c-can't!" Grover said. Leo expected him to say "Too scared to run!" but he didn't.

"Why?"

"I-It's my job! T-to p-protect t-them!" Grover said, holding his crutch up to try and ward off the biggest Cyclops.

Leo felt something from that. There was a feeling within him that just ignited in blaze of glory, both figuratively and literally. It was Grover's _job_ to protect them. Leo could rely on Grover to back him up. Leo wanted to be like that.

A flame formed in his hand, and it expanded, engulfing him entirely, giving away his position, but Leo didn't care. An unbridled pride and joy filled Leo's heart. He wasn't paying attention to the Cyclops, but to Grover, who looked at him is disbelief.

"I…" Leo was crying. "I want to be a hero too…"

"You're…using your fire…" Grover muttered, shocked. He knew how much Leo didn't want to admit he even had that ability.

"Look, more lunchmeat. Get him!" the two Cyclops gained on him.

Leo shot a stream of flames at them, but they weren't fazed by it. Lucky for Leo, he chose to have his revelation against monsters that are just as immune to fire as he was. The red flower shot off their bodies, into the building around them. Soon, the whole place was ablaze, or close to it.

Grover dove for cover, leaving Leo to quickly think of a plan. Thankfully, the Cyclops' belongings weren't fireproof, and they were busy trying to save their stuff. He slipped on his goggles, and looked up. He found exactly what he was looking for, a massive metal pile, held up by another crane. He needed to lure them over them.

Leo blasted some more of their stuff, willing his flames to have physical force, pushing it away, allowing him to pick it up himself. "Give that back ya little bastard!" the big one roared. Leo ran, and dropped the thing under where he needed to drop it.

The three fell for it, and Leo charged up his strength in his hand, feeling a tug at his gut. The big Cyclops looked up. "Move! Get out of the-"

"Don't you _dare_ take a step, monsters!" Piper yelled from her spot. Her Charmspeak spoke true. It was specific enough to only affect them, allowing Leo time to shoot the joint link, and drop the metal bars down onto their heads, crushing them and making them explode into dust.

Leo took a deep breath, feeling really, truly happy for the first time in years. It was like a weight had been lifted from his chest when he revealed his powers; he'd been keeping them a secret for so long.

Piper, on the other hand, seemed sick to her stomach. Especially upside down, and especially after she got hurt so badly, and in such a pathetic way, she was feeling about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.

Grover rushed over to Leo. "Bro! What the hell was that?!" he questioned, grinning like a madman. He brought Leo into a bear hug and cackled, so full of joy. Leo couldn't tell whether it was for him or from the fact that he survived the encounter.

"I don't even know!" Leo admitted, grinning just as wide. " _You just inspired me!"_ he wanted to say, but he didn't. The two quickly freed Piper and Jason, but they didn't get the chance to relax, as this was when Jason awoke.

xxxXXXxxx

Corpses, burned to the crisp. A city in flames…so much fire…the smoke suffocating him.

Jason awoke to a wide-awake nightmare. Flames arced around him wildly. He shot up, his heart racing, his breathing short yet labored. "No…" he muttered. He willed the wind to come to him, but instead, another power came to him along with it. "Not again…" Jason looked at his hands, and saw lightning coursing along his arms. Tears fell down his cheeks as he felt that memory resurface, of that city on fire. He had a terrifying feeling that he was the cause of that suffering.

Jason's breathing picked up, and with it, the wind around him. When the lightning disappeared, the wind became deadlier. It was strange, almost as if the wind was moving so fast around him that it was shredding away the light, moving so fast to tear away reality to create pockets of light around him.

"Need to get out," Jason looked around frantically, not seeing an exit.

"This way," he heard suddenly, and then a hand grabbed his arm. It was Piper, and the voice had been Leo's. Jason's vision cleared, like it had been obscured or altered before. Flames still encircled him, but Piper was leading him toward Leo and Grover, who were waiting at an exit.

Jason's first breath of fresh air was like a man drinking after having wandered the desert for days. He took several deep breaths, but was encouraged to keep moving, back to where Festus was.

It took a moment of blurriness for everything to settle, and Jason was given quite a few things to think about. They told him what happened, and not even dealing with his vision and re-visiting of the vision, was the fact that _Leo_ had made that fire. Instantly, a rift formed, and Jason had no choice, even when he was the one imposing it. It was just…impossible, for him to be near Leo at the moment, after learning that he could create fire at will. " _Think of the harm you could do…"_ he thought, wishing that the boy had kept it hidden.

Good thing he was still busy fixing Festus. Leo had a grin on his face as he worked, finding a newfound resolve, though in the back of his head, he was aware of the cold shoulder that Jason was giving him despite the fact that the son of Hephaestus just single-handedly saved his hide. He was in _way_ too good a mood to let that get the best of him, at least for now.

Grover was busy tending to Piper, some of whose ribs had been cracked by the Cyclops' incessant poking. Just one or two would've been fine, but he _had_ to do it for almost half an hour straight, poking harder and harder each time. He gave her some ambrosia and had her laid up to rest until morning. Yeah, _that_ would work out.

"Aha!" Leo said finally as Festus whirred back to life. The dragon stood and stretched. "There you go, all tuned up and ready for flight, buddy!" Leo gave the dragon a thumbs-up, and then got a little glint in his eye, indicative of excitement. "Yo, you'll never guess what happened while you were sleeping!"

After a while, Jason shuffled over to the camp, where Grover offered him some food. He accepted them, but only nibbled. Piper was there, sitting up to eat. She seemed have as much of an appetite as Jason.

"Hey, don't waste this opportunity," the satyr warned. They nodded, but didn't eat any faster. "Alright…what's the problem?"

The two exchanged a look. Piper was the first to answer, taking out her pen. 'I was so useless,' she wrote, showing it to them.

"What? You made sure the whole thing worked!" Grover claimed, referring to her Charmspeak.

'I could've gotten you guys hurt if I said one word different,' she continued, still not feeling good about her using it. She didn't think it through, and she felt extremely lucky that nothing bad happened because of it. It was one of the few times that that happened.

"But you didn't," Grover said. He then turned to Jason. "And what about you? You're being awfully quiet, Mr. Hero."

The boy didn't answer at first, nibbling on his food, trying to sort through his own thoughts and feelings. Soon, he realized that he wouldn't be able to take it if he didn't tell them. "I messed up," he said. Piper and Grover exchanged a look, unsure of what he meant.

"But…if you mean about getting knocked out, that wasn't your fault. That was…ah hell," Grover saw Festus picking Leo up by the shirt. "Hang on I gotta get this."

Piper scooted closer to him. 'It really wasn't your fault,' she wrote.

"It's not that," Jason said. "I messed up before tonight. Before the quest, before Camp Half-Blood. It was…in my old life."

'You remember?' Piper wondered.

"Still just visions, but…I can't shake this feeling, this…pressure in my chest. It feels like…a lingering sadness."

Piper let the words sink in for a minute. Jason's breathing was heavy, his speech strained; he clearly had difficulty talking on the subject. That was proof enough that it was a bad memory. 'Remember when you said you had a raging storm inside of you?'

"Y-yeah…"

'I get it,' she wrote. 'I saw the lightning, and I get it.'

Jason nodded, feeling the helplessness come back from when it appeared in his hands. "Please don't leave my side…" he muttered without thinking.

She smiled and gave him a tight hug, as if saying "I made a promise, didn't I?" He returned it gratefully.

"Uh, guys!" Leo called. The turned toward him, seeing him pointing back toward the facility. Stomping was heard soon after.

"Get them!"

Jason stood. "Get on the dragon!" he called to Leo and Grover. He picked up Piper, who had gathered the supplies around her, and leapt up into the air, meeting them in the sky, with them soaring away before the reformed Cyclopes could get them.

"What the hell was that! I totally crushed them!" Leo exclaimed in disbelief. Piper and Jason were equally as confused, looking to Grover.

"It doesn't make sense," he agreed. "Monsters should take decades to reform," he said. "At the soonest it should've been a few years, and _that_ was only because of Kronos giving 'em enough power to get out early."

"Well, they reformed a helluva lot soon than a year!" Leo exclaimed.

And that was that. They just had to add it to the list of unanswered questions, as they headed toward Chicago once more.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Looking back, I didn't exactly change all that much from the original. What I think is important to take is the tone shift, that this is the beginning of Leo's journey, rather than the end. Or maybe I'm just a narcissist that thinks his stuff is way better than the original.**

 **Either way, I want to take the time today to share an ending. Traditionally, because this and the prior series were influenced heavily by the style of anime, which has 1:30 long openings and endings, I shared what I would personally pick as ops and eds for each book adaptation, or season. This time, I'm sharing the ending I'd choose.**

 **My pick is "Trust Me" by Yuya Matsushita, the first ending of Durarara!...that's the actual name of the show, exclamation points and all.**

 **Mild spoilers ahead, but only for the beginning of The Son of Neptune.**

 **My reason for this is because it's already done; look up pjo durarara, and you'll come up with a massive character piece displaying all of the main characters of Percy Jackson. Granted...I'm changing it. Personally, my order would be Jason, Piper, Leo, Grover, Rachel stays, so does Octavian, get rid of Leo, so then Bianca replaces Hazel, going down is Winona, then Zoe, then Percy and Annabeth, then Reyna, then Tempus, and then (here's the spoiler) whoever is taking Tempus' identity temporarily, to close out. Note that this doesn't denote how relevant they are to the plot, but rather is just a series of connections which tie the entire cast together...though Octavian and Rachel were tough ones to fit. They're the only two that I'd consider extraneous.**

 **Anyway, that's my pick, so...yeah, see you tomorrow!**


	12. The Art Of Bartering

Chicago certainly lived up to its title; the City of Wind. Even on Festus, who normally flew smooth, the four ended up rocking back and forth to the point of nearly falling off multiple times. "There," Jason said, pointing down. "A ventus."

"Is it the one that attacked us at the Canyon?" Leo wondered.

"Who cares? Let's follow it," Grover said. With that, they began tailing the ventus, hoping it would stop eventually.

They followed it through downtown for hours, with Festus staying above the buildings and wires, obviously. Eventually, it congregated with its venti brethren in a park area. There were at least a dozen of them, maybe more, all stirring up trouble for the mortals below. Some of them broke off, and the group chose to follow them, as the gathered venti weren't going to lead them anywhere fast.

"They…went into the sewer?" Leo questioned, seeing them slip through the manhole as it was closed.

"Then that's where we go," Jason said, slipping off of Festus. Normally, he wouldn't run off on his own, especially after the Cyclops incident, but…he just needed to be away from Leo. He couldn't shake that feeling of uncertainty, like he could just burst into flames at any minute without cause and roast them all.

He skated down lower into the city, figuring he must look like a big bird to the mortals, and landed in an alleyway. Jason looked up at the sky; the sun was just beginning to rise, meaning it was around…seven in the morning. At least this meant that it was before the big 9-5 rush crowd.

Leo managed to find an empty parking lot, somehow, and landed Festus. Jason met the group there.

"Alright, boss. What's the play?" Grover wondered.

"I can handle it," Jason said, almost sounding like he was arrogant. "I mean, not to say you can't handle it, but…if a ventus catches one of you, they could drop you…and…yeah."

"Splat," Leo said. "But still, going alone? And it'll be dark down there, right? I can go with you," he offered, igniting a flame in his palm. Jason grimaced upon seeing it.

" _Please_ put that out," he said, trying to stay calm. "And no…I mean, no thanks."

"But-"

"No," Jason repeated. Seeing that he wasn't changing his mind, Leo shuffled back to Festus, pressing a button and turning him into a backpack. How Leo could carry it, Jason had no idea. For all he could figure, Festus' weight went to the Ether.

"Well…I _guess_ we could check out the city while we wait…" he mumbled, obviously hurt.

"Grover, can you keep an eye on him? Piper, you too?"

"Wow, man," Grover was shaking his head, and Piper had her hand on her hip, giving him a look like he was covered in animal dung.

"What?"

'He's your friend,' Piper wrote.

"So? It's for his own good," Jason claimed. "And I said I would go alone, not just without him."

'Just?' Piper questioned, implying he wouldn't allow Leo to come even if he brought the others.

"…That's cold," was all Grover said.

"Well then it evens out!" Jason snapped. "I _can't_ risk Leo losing control of his powers. They're dangerous."

'So are yours,' Piper mentioned. Jason's lip twitched, finding himself becoming increasingly agitated. He knew they wouldn't let him live it down if he didn't take Leo, but he wasn't going to go with him alone. He threw his hands up into the air.

"Bah! Fine, then let's _all_ go," he conceded.

"Alright!" Leo shot back to the group. "But if they _do_ drop me," he lightly elbowed the son of Jupiter. "I'm gonna have to ask you to catch me."

Jason looked at him, not sure whether to laugh or glare. He remembered the city on fire, his own bloodied hands scrapping through the rubble, searching desperately for something…or someone. Leo snapped in front of his face, which Jason would've expected to cause sparks.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Jason?" he pointed to the others, who were already moving. "We're gonna lose them in the streets if we don't get moving."

Jason reluctantly followed the smaller boy, being sure to keep him in sight at all times. " _You're being unfair,"_ he thought. " _I'm sure Leo didn't_ mean _to cause that fire. But then, it doesn't matter since people might still get hurt, right?"_

"Uh…man?" Leo looked back. "You're face is gonna get stuck like that, you know."

Jason had been scowling. " _I need to meditate, my brain is getting too garbled. I'm probably cranky, that's got to be it. Once I can meditate, everything will be fine, and I'll be able to work things out…I hope…"_ the thought seemed like a betrayal; this was how he was _supposed_ to feel. Something in his blood forced him to think this way. It was the same reason he disliked Percy, and why he didn't completely trust those at camp, even when they'd brought him in and treated him as one of their own.

And it infuriated Jason to think that he was unable to control these thoughts. He took a deep breath, seeing the rest of the group gather around the pothole and gesture him over. He took another breath before he started walking, and then dropped down after them.

He expected to land in a foot of sludge, but the bottom was surprisingly clear. " _Odd…"_ he thought, seeing that the rest of the group had started walking already. He followed behind, making sure to turn back every now and then in case a monster tried to sneak up on them from the darkness…again.

When they came to the end of the tunnel, they found themselves faced with a set of elevator doors. "In the sewers? Where does it even go?" Leo voiced the question they were all thinking. A couple of looks were exchanged before they all shrugged, and Piper called it to them. Once inside, it became readily apparent that this wasn't going to take them to any regular place.

The map within the elevator was laid out like that of a map of a mall, with the different floors giving a list of the stores available on them. There was a shop for magic potions, weaponry, pet griffins, the works. Leo got particularly excited about the workshop; though Jason had to wonder what they would make there that wouldn't also fall under some other jurisdiction like the armory or a machine shop.

"Let's…take it from the top, I guess," Grover said, pressing the button. When they eventually came out, it was basically an instant migraine. The roof was this stained glass fixture, all painted different colors to where everything the light above shined on was a garbled rainbow. Jason preferred Piper's kaleidoscope eyes to this any day.

"Look," Leo said, leaning over the railing. Piper was busy examining some of the potions and their effects. Jason was tempted to go over with her, maybe see if one of the options could restore his memory, but he didn't. He went over to Leo, and saw what he was pointing at.

At the very bottom, there was an exhibit for a whole bunch of different magical creatures, including those griffins. However, in one of the cages was a whole bunch of contained wind spirits. Jason nodded. "I'll go down and look at them, maybe see if I can buy them for a reasonable price in drachma," he said. Leo wanted to suggest stealing them instead, but he figured that Jason wouldn't jump at the idea. "And…nice work, finding them so fast."

"No problem!" Leo grinned and slapped Jason on the back, making the boy jump. Leo arched his eyebrow. "Dude, relax; I'm not gonna light you on fire."

"…Sorry," Jason said, stepping over the side. " _But I can't trust your word yet."_

"Did he find something?" Grover wondered.

"Uh, _I_ found some wind spirits!" the son of Hephaestus claimed. "I can do things too!"

"Sure you can, Mr. Hero," Grover pat him on the back. "We shouldn't split off alone, though; I'll go with him. You take care of Piper, alright?"

A minute later and Leo was being led through a science lab full of different colored potions. Most of them smelled good, but the ones that stunk…just wow: like the inside of Leo's shoe kinda bad. "Fun fact; I minored in potions, and majored in herbology; all thanks to Professor McGonagall," Leo claimed. Piper raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't respond. "Alright fine, I _majored_ in potions."

"Oh, then you must not need my help," a big guy stepped out of nowhere, from the shadows. Leo and Piper jumped together, startled. They separated when he didn't make a move. Piper made for Echo. "Oh please, that isn't necessary. I'm but a humble salesman! Might I interest you in some of our wares?" he gestured to the potions. "Or, perhaps _that_ is more to your liking?" he moved so Leo could see the workshop.

"Ooh, ooh, can we go?"

"Of course," the man urged him forward, but Piper grabbed the boy's hand. She eyed the new man, trying to weigh out whether he was a threat or not.

"Hm? What's up, Piper?" Leo wondered.

She took out her pen, but then put it away, letting Leo lead her to what was probably their inevitable doom. She instead tapped on his hand. Long, short, long, short, pause. Short, long, pause. Short, long, short, pause. Short, pause. Short, short, long, short, pause. Short, short, long, pause. Short, long, short, short, stop.

Careful.

Piper hoped he got the message by the time she let go of his hand, when they reached the workshop and he started rifling through all of the little half-finished machines and Celestial Bronze slabs that were lying around. He seemed to be more interested in them than he was in the finished products for sale. The salesman guy was as into the whole thing as Leo, constantly hyping the products up.

Eventually, Leo's attention focused on one of the least interesting things for sale. "A tool belt?" he wondered.

"Ah, an exquisite piece," the salesman claimed. "Magically woven to have bottomless pockets; anything that can fit in the top of the pouches can fit in them with an unlimited capacity."

"Whoa…" Leo's eyes glinted with excitement. Piper grabbed his hand again in warning, but he quickly wrestled it away. "What? We can afford this," he said, digging in his pockets. "Alright, Mr. Salesman guy with that really needy stare…what say to the price of…one drachma?" Leo flipped a coin in his hand and showed it off to him. The salesman didn't even dignify the offer with a verbal response, just shook his head. "Okay…two drachma!" he said. Another shake. "Damn, that's all I got…how about my drachma and my friend's gun?"

Piper slapped Leo's arm for that one. "I'm afraid that I must decline."

"Okay, how about my drachma and this hunk of pure Celestial Bronze?" Leo pulled a chunk from behind his back. "I hear that stuff is valuable in the demigod world."

"Isn't that mine?" the salesman wondered.

"Um…no?" Leo said, though the salesman snatched it from him and returned it to its rightful place anyway. "Alright fine. Tell me what I gotta do. I can build you something, or whatever. Just gimme the belt, please!" the son of Hephaestus begged.

The man thought about it for a moment. "…I believe I know of something to do…but I warn you, it'll take time."

"That's fine; I'm sure it won't take _that_ long," Leo waved off the concern. "So, we've got a deal?"

"Very well," they shook hands. "And so it is official."

Piper frowned.

" _Idiot,"_ she thought, grabbing his hand for the third time and started dragging him away. " _I'm not gonna let you get killed because you're excited over a stupid belt."_

"Piper? What's up? Did you find something too?" Leo wondered. They made it to the entrance of the workshop, when the salesman appeared in front of them.

"Excuse me, but you are heading the wrong way," he said.

Piper whipped out her pen and Echo. 'We're leaving,' she wrote, shoving the words in his face, before trying to step around him. He got in their way again.

"I'm afraid it is official," they heard, though it didn't come from the guy in front of them, despite it being the same voice. When they looked, they saw the salesman appear behind them as well; two copies. "It wouldn't do to go back on a handshake."

It seemed that Leo was starting to understand; they were never trying to sell for drachma. Then, two more appeared, one on either side, completely cutting them off from running. The four began to close the distance between them and the demigods, who were standing, facing their opponents, ready to fight. "I've got your back," Leo assured, though his voice was shaking.

" _Bless his heart; he's terrified,"_ Piper thought, steadying Echo, aiming it at one of them men's faces. She took the first shot, and all hell broke loose.

xxxXXXxxx

The son of Jupiter eased his way down, circling the exhibit multiple times to check for any traps; he couldn't be too sure with this place. He touched down and entered, looking for any kind of employee, but was unsuccessful. Jason was surprised how dense the place was; it certainly didn't seem this full from up above. There were many more creatures for sale, including a gorgon. Jason wasn't sure which one it was, but she had a Celestial Bronze blindfold on, and didn't look like it was coming off anytime soon. Most of the creatures didn't pay him any mind either, as he would've expected. The only ones that were even really moving were the wind spirits at the edge, and that was just because that moving was their version of standing still; it was what took the least amount of effort for them.

Suddenly, a salesman appeared, literally out of nowhere. He actually snuck up on Jason, which was something the son of Jupiter was trying really hard to make not happen again. Still, it did. "Hello there, young sir!" he greeted. "How might I serve you today?"

"Hey," Jason greeted. "How much for the venti?"

"Ah, straight to the point I see. Well, sir, I can appreciate that," they walked to the venti's cage together. "For the lot of them…I could part for seventy-five golden drachma."

Jason grimaced. " _Jeez…that's about three and a half years' worth of drachma from camp chores…"_ he thought, cringing at the thought of doing lava dishes for that long. "Can you lower it a little? This is kind of important."

"How important, sir?"

"Jason!" Grover caught up with him. "What's the deal?"

"This guy wants seventy-five drachma for the wind spirits," Jason conveyed. Grover nearly dropped his fudge.

"What? You kidding, man?"

"I'm afraid not," the sales guy lamented. "Wind spirits, fearsome creatures; restless, never tiring. It took nearly two hundred years to collect this many. To part with them for any less would be a crime."

"But…" Jason considered. " _Well, three and half years is a lot better than two hundred…"_

"Listen, man, we're on an important quest," Grover claimed. "And we _need_ those wind spirits to complete it. Hey, how about I put in a good word with Aeolus when we deliver them, and he might be able to pay you back?"

He held up a hand. "I'm afraid I only accept up-front payments, sirs. But how about we discuss it further as we explore your other options. I'm sure you can settle for a pair of wonderful sun dragons instead? They're only fifty each."

They were led into the thick of the exhibit again, going much further than Jason went. Soon, he stopped paying attention to the man's rambling and Grover's attempt as haggling. " _…We need those venti,"_ he reminded himself. " _But we can't steal them- no, we may_ have _to steal them,"_ his stomach turned at the thought. It was unjust. " _Come on, this is the fate of the world we're talking about."_

"H-help…" Jason heard distantly. Though he didn't really 'hear' it, but more felt it. Jason stopped, letting the other two go ahead of him. He waited. "Help," he heard repeated. This time he definitely heard it. He turned toward the voice, feeling a strange pull from it, so subtle that he was only unconsciously aware of it. "Please…" it sounded weak, helpless. Jason walked toward it, weaving through the mess of cages and cells, until he saw her.

She was gorgeous, with wavy black hair and a tattered black dress. She resided in one of the cages, her wrists chained with Celestial Bronze. She stared up at him with these mesmerizing black eyes, like Jason could see directly into her soul…and it was pleading for help. He knelt down beside her.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Please, I need your help, hero," she pleaded. She sounded like she was trying to stay quiet. "He's a madman! He took me against my will. I don't belong here. I'm not a monster, like the rest."

"But…" Jason hesitated.

"Look," she reached out to him, and he took her hand. "I'm flesh and blood, just like you…please…" she pleaded, her eyes becoming misty.

" _Would this count as stealing or liberating?"_ Jason thought.

"Free me, hero, and I promise I can make it worth your while."

"N-no, you don't need to pay me," he said quickly. He stood. "Here, stand back, I'll-"

"Oh, try to ignore that one," the salesman appeared again, with Grover it tow; the two were still trying to work out a price. "She's a master of deception, took quite a bit to subdue her."

"N-no!" the woman reared back at the sight of him. "G-get him away from me!"

Jason stood in front of her cage protectively. The salesman seemed relatively calm, giving a sly smile. "Oh come now, let's all relax and talk business," he started toward Jason. The son of Jupiter took out Ivlivs. The salesman stopped.

"Don't come any closer," Jason warned. The man seemed to know what the coin entailed, and held up his hand in relent.

"Jace," Grover went to his side. "I've got a bad feeling, but…" he looked back at the woman, who had backed herself to the other side of the cage; her eyes were wide with terror. "I don't know about this. She's in there for a reason."

"Yeah, because this guy kidnapped her!" he returned, eyes locked onto the salesman. "Look, man, I don't want to hurt you."

"Oh, and I, you. So as I say, let's just calm down and talk business. I'm sure we can come to a consensus on the price of her release, if you so desire."

Well, there was the moral conundrum again. " _Liberating or stealing or both?"_ Jason once again asked himself. This time, after seeing the woman's reaction to the salesman's presence, he was leaning more toward the 'liberating' bit. His decision was basically sealed when Piper and Leo dive-bombed into the scene while running from the guy.

Speaking of, during the stand-off where Jason weighed his options, suddenly a massive explosion occurred from one of the balconies. It happened so fast that Jason only saw the aftermath.

While running from the double salesman guy, they eventually got cornered. In a desperate attempt to escape, Leo let loose a massive burst of fire, resulting in the explosion that Jason saw. The two were sent flying, with the dual salesmen leaping after them, completely unscathed, even as their skin burned off.

They tumbled through the air. Piper managed to grab Leo and pull him close, taking the brunt of the impact herself. Thankfully, it was only from the second floor, but any normal person would have huge recoil, maybe broken bones. Piper, though winded and sore, came out unscathed.

She would take the fall over the Cyclops' abuse any day. Leo rolled off of her. "Are you okay?" he said, his eyes wide. She nodded and sat up, seeing a third salesman looking at her with contempt, as the other two lined up beside him. "Oh no! They're multiplying!"

"Stand down," Jason warned. "Let her go and let us out with the venti!"

"Now that doesn't sound like a good deal for me!" the three pounced, two on Jason and Grover, and the unburned one on Piper and Leo.

Jason tossed Ivlivs up into the air and smashed his palms together to catch it. He willed the air to respond, sending out a forceful shockwave which knocked back his attackers. Like last time, the force was only great enough to cause actual damage if it was very close, like the woman's cage. When Jason swept his hands apart vertically, the golden spear formed, falling into his grip. The salesmen seemed unfazed by its presence.

"Don't try it, final warning!" Jason claimed. The two charged anyway, and so he returned in kind. He used his reach to his advantage, stabbing into one of their arms each before they made it to him, dodging around their attacks, and sweeping them off their feet before blasting them away with his wind.

"Jace, watch out!" Jason whirled around at Grover's call, but only barely saw him tackling the woman, who had escaped her cage, to the ground.

"What are you _doing_?!" Jason demanded, before he saw the knife in her pinned hand.

"She was at your neck!" he returned.

Jason blinked. " _Protector…got it…"_ he thought. The woman looked at Grover with a burning fury.

"Get off of me, satyr," she ordered…and he obeyed. She stood and brushed herself off. Grover blinked, confused. "Go help your friends," she told him, and he obliged, joining the other battle. Even the two who had been attacking Jason went over.

"W-what are…?"

"Ta-ta!" she dashed off. Jason took a step, about to go after her, when he looked back to his friends. " _I should help them…"_ he thought. " _No, it's three on three; they've got this,"_ he told himself, before taking off after the woman.

xxxXXXxxx

Piper kept shooting them, but they wouldn't stay down. Each time she thought they'd stop, they kept getting back up. Leo seemed to be having the same problem, made worse when the other two joined the fray. Most of their clothes were burned off at this point, and some of their skin too, but they didn't even seem to care. The two were back to back again.

She made a mental note of him, making sure he didn't explode from using his powers too much. She'd never known he could use fire; he'd never told her for obvious reasons. But still, when he used it, even when his whole body was engulfed in flames, Piper felt a certain coldness coming from him, like she could reach out and touch him even within the fire. In fact, it may explain why his clothes aren't burning, or why Piper's weren't singing from being near him; he isn't choosing to burn them.

She was jerked back from her thoughts as one of their enemies got through Piper's attempts to ward them off. He charged at her and slammed a fist downward, looking to try and knock her gun out of her hands. What she did was a gut reaction. She slapped his fist away without stopping the momentum, and then brought her elbow up into the man's nose, dazing him and knocking him back. She shot him then, making him rear back further, before finally kicking him away.

"Yo, I saw Percy do that!" Leo claimed, having watched it. Piper blinked, remembering that he'd shown her the basics of Muay Thai during her training. She took a shaky breath as the numbness in her elbow turned to a stinging pain; the son of Poseidon had told her it even took demigods a while to build up resistance to impacts like that, though not years like it did regular mortals.

And then Grover came in. Unexpectedly, he'd left Jason's side and came barreling into the fight, tackling down the two salesmen that Piper was holding off before quickly getting up. "We need to get to Jason!" Grover called.

"Why?"

"It's Medea!" Grover claimed. "The woman is Medea; she's a master of Charmspeak and sorcery; we need to help him!"

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Leo questioned, grinning. He raised his hand and formed a sort of fire bomb, throwing it at the salesman and blasting them again. It wasn't so much to do damage, but more so to knock them back, allowing the trio to make a safe exit. They charged after where Jason and Medea had gone.

 **Author's Note:**

 **No time to proofread, playing Celeste. Sorry for mistakes, I'll go through later and comb it out. See ya tomorrow!**

 **EDIT:**

 **Proofread done. Now I need to get on writing the Son of Neptune finale...after procrastinating on it for like four days. Because I'm a profeshonal riter.**


	13. Watched Rome As It Burned

"Wait!" Jason called, just barely keeping up with the woman on foot. "Please!"

She didn't respond, probably focusing on her breathing. Jason hopped into the air and started skating, willing the wind to push him faster. He caught up to her, but he suspected that she planned that, as two more of her salesman helpers were on either side of her. Jason stopped and readied Ivlivs, still in spear form. "Tell me who you are," Jason demanded. "And why you tried to kill me."

The woman scowled at the son of Jupiter. "Jason's always lack awareness, I see," she said. "You are in the presence of Princess Medea of Colchis. You should be kneeling before me, Aduro," Jason snarled at the title, but Medea only chuckled. "Still true to your Mother, I see. You came for my wind spirits, as expected. IF only that satyr hadn't been around…"

"But…you were in a cage!"

"An act," she claimed. "Normally when 'heroes' come I can get away with having them buy me, only to kill them on the way out. With you, though, that didn't work. Or should I say…it wouldn't have worked. Your little friends certainly know how to complicate things, don't they? But, now that we're alone…get him, keep him alive."

Her two helpers advanced mindlessly. "What's wrong with them?" Jason thought aloud.

"Oh these fine chaps? They're mine; not for sale."

"I _definitely_ don't want them!" Jason exclaimed upon engaging them, having to ward off their blows with his wind, twirling around them to get to Medea. They seemed to expect this, and formed a tight wall between them, dashing back before Jason to attack. He leapt into the air, trying to jump over them, but they grabbed his feet and threw him into the ground.

Jason's vision blurred from the impact, though he stayed standing. "Typical for an Aduro," Medea mocked. "You can never quite live up to your reputation."

Jason bared his teeth and lifted up into the air, skating above them and sending down concentrated air blast, shoving her minions into the ground in craters, before landing in front of her and holding up his spear. "What was that?" he questioned.

The Princess didn't look very worried, considering a spear was at her throat. Maybe she knew that Jason was bluffing; for as much fury as that insult instilled in the son of Jupiter, he wasn't a murderer. "You aren't going to hurt me," she said the words with such confidence. "Put your spear down."

Jason, against his own will, obeyed. "W-what?" he raised it again.

"Aren't you forgetting about someone?" Medea pointed behind him, but Jason didn't have time to react to the salesmen who had recovered from his attack. They tackled him to the ground and pinned him. Jason reached for Ivlivs, but it had been kicked out of reach by the Princess.

Jason willed the wind to lift him up, but it was under too much resistance from the two extra bodies, though Jason suspected they weighed about as much as the Rock give how little air he had in his lungs with them on top of him.

Then he acted on instinct. He let loose a scream, but not just any old kind. It was one fueled by his powers, sending out a concentrated sonic blast straight at the ground, which was enough of an impact to knock Jason's would-be captors off of him. Unsure of how he accomplished this and with no time to contemplate, Jason shot up to face the men, willing the wind to circle around him in a protective aura, making his clothes flow. With the wind built up around him, warding off his attackers was much easier, and Jason was able to stun them for longer when he pushed them away.

Unfortunately, this gave Medea time to run away. Jason ran after her, but the salesmen blocked him. "Tch, now's _really_ not the time," he growled, trying to get them to back down, to no avail. Luckily, he didn't have to, as suddenly Grover came in and smashed his crutch into the side of one of their heads while Piper shot the other in the face. "Piper!" Jason cried, appalled that she'd so mindlessly kill the man.

"Relax, man; they ain't human," Grover said. "Where's Medea?"

"She ran off that way," he said. "I think we should just cut out losses; there's got to be another group of venti somewhere that we can use."

"Oh no, don't tell me you feel bad about stealing them?" Leo complained. "Let's just go take them while she's distracted!"

Jason glared at the boy for the suggestion, and the fact that his flames were lit all around him. Leo backed down soon. Before they could discuss it further, they heard roars. "Um…what was that?"

They wouldn't have to wait long, as above them, two massive figures leapt from an upper balcony. They looked like giant lions with the heads of crocodiles, and they were made of bronze. "Enjoy those sun dragons, heroes!" Medea called from above.

"In _what_ world are those dragons?!" Grover questioned. "They don't even have wings!"

"Technically, Festus didn't either when I first met him," Leo noted.

"Then he wasn't a dragon," Jason said. "Dragons have six limbs; it's their defining feature."

"Then what about Smaug?" Leo questioned.

"Wyvern; like dragons but with four limbs," he returned.

"Aight let's focus people!" Grover said, with all of them diving out of the way as the sun dragons landed and charged.

"Speaking of Festus!" Leo threw his backpack at them, with it quickly expanding out like a transformer back into Festus' full form, barreling straight into the sun dragons. The bronze beast shot Leo a look like 'what the hell, man?'

Leo grinned sheepishly. "S-sorry," he said.

"Uh, guys," Jason pointed at the salesman, who not only got up from the blows to the head, but also were joined by their friends from before. "We've got company."

"You guys go on ahead," Grover said. "I'll hold them off."

"Me and Festus have got those wannabe dragons!" Leo assured as well. Jason hesitated, but allowed himself to be pulled along by Piper, who took her chance to pushed forward after Festus engaged the sun dragons, looking to be able to manhandle them fairly easily, especially with Leo coming in with concentrated fire blasts, reaching unreal temperatures (though not quite white-hot).

Jason picked up Piper, after they made it past the carnage, and took a shortcut up to the level Medea had fled to. They landed in a run, and once the Princess saw them, she darted away. "You're certainly persistent!" she noted. "Tackle her!"

Without thinking, Jason tumbled into Piper, sending them both sprawling to the ground. "Ugh…" Jason groaned. Piper urged him up with a tug. "I know, sorry, I know!" the two took off running. "Try her legs!" he suggested once they came within view of her again. Piper nodded, though aiming while running was easier said than done. She took a couple pot shots, but none of them made any contact. Either she missed entirely or Medea moved in a way that Piper wasn't expecting, causing the miss.

Eventually, Piper jumped onto Jason's back. Confused at first, Jason soon picked up that she wanted him to skate, get her an even shot. She used his head as a leveler, meaning he had to stay perfectly still, and then tried again. After a couple attempts, Piper made contact. A shot grazed the Princess' side, and then another got her leg, causing her to stumble and slow down. They were gaining on her. "Drop her!" Medea ordered, but she didn't say it until after Piper had already made her winning shot, straight into the back of Medea's knee, shattering the leg.

Both women hit the ground at the same time, coincidentally, though Medea was screaming in agony from her fall. Jason helped Piper up, but as he was about to confront the sorceress, Piper stopped him, whipping out her pen. 'Maybe I should face her,' she suggested. 'She can Charmspeak you.'

"But…" Jason started, though he knew she was right. "…I don't want to leave you alone," he said. Piper shot him a reassuring smile, before turning to Medea. She froze as Medea spoke.

"You filthy Roman," Medea snarled at Jason. "You're _worse_ than the original Jason, than all the other Aduros. You're as bad as Nero himself!"

The word sent Jason into a dizzy fit. " _No way…not now…"_ he begged, though his consciousness was already failing him. He collapsed to the ground, where Piper rushed to his aid, trying to keep him awake, to no avail.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason was surrounded by the sounds of battle, or rather, of slaughter. He saw hordes of shadowy figures, monsters of reptilian variety, swarming through the city he was standing in. Somehow, Jason knew that this was supposed to be Rome. It was an indescribable feeling. Ivlivs was in his hand, but it wasn't being used to tear through the enemy, but rather to make room, so he could get to somewhere…or someone.

Jason spoke without thinking. _"_ T-" he called that one girl's name. His heartrate was through the roof with either adrenaline or worry or, what Jason suspected most, fear. He finally spotted her, flying through the air from an attack sent her way. In her hands was a simple gladius, broken off at the tip and cracked down the shaft.

Jason rushed to her aid, but froze upon seeing who, or what, she was fighting. He was monstrously tall, dwarfing both Jason and the girl; it was Krios, the Titan. "Stay back, Jason!" she ordered as she was approached by the Titan of Stars.

"No, let's let the kid blow off some steam," he mocked. "Because you seem to be having a bit of trouble."

"Don't let him provoke you, Jason! Go back! Protect the others!"

"I can't leave you!" Jason called back, charging the Titan. He was no match, being easily swatted away with an axe made of starlight. Jason crashed into a building. He would've been buried under the rubble had he not called the wind to push them away from him.

Most of the battle after that was a blur. Jason's recalled brief flashes of weapons clashing, of the girl desperately trying to regain a foothold in the fight, to no avail. Jason was eventually blasted back again. This time, Krios didn't let up. He went for a killing blow. "Look out!" the girl called.

Jason only comprehended what happened when he felt the blood drip onto his face. The girl had jumped in front of the attack, taking it for him. For the first time, Jason saw her face. It was contorted in an unspeakable pain from the hole on her chest. Her eyes had just an ounce of life left in them, tears streaming from her silver eyes.

"N-no…" Jason caught her as Krios' weapon was removed from her body. "No, no, no…" Jason felt the wind picking up around him.

He stood, unable to cope with seeing the girl die. He looked at his hands; sparking, crackling with electricity. The sky darkened around him, and the wind was so fierce that it cut through the light around them.

Then, in a massive explosion, a lightning bolt arced from the sky and engulfed Jason, the impact shooting out and blasting everything and everyone away, including Krios and the girl.

Jason's vision seemed to skip. He'd blacked out from the sheer power, though he had still been attacking. When he came to, Krios was nowhere to be found. Jason barely managed to contain his powers. He saw the city around him engulfed in flames. He saw dozens of corpses lining a path he'd created with his attack.

"No…" he muttered. He dashed to the nearest pile of rubble, trying to find any sign of the girl, hoping and praying to all of the gods that would listen that he hadn't incinerated her. He dug his hands into the mess, working faster than he'd ever worked before. He lifted and hefted large swaths of rubble away, finding nothing, and moving to the next spot. The air choked him, the smoke from the fire burning his eyes and nose. Soon, his hands were bloody from digging. "Come on, come on…please…please be alive…" he begged, tears streaming down his face. He was vaguely aware of people watching him, but he didn't pay any attention to them. He yelled in frustration, before stepping back and violently shooting out wind, blowing away the rubble, not caring if he displaced the burned corpses of those he had found.

Jason collapsed onto his knees, having found no sign of the girl. He sobbed loudly, letting out choked moans, pounding the ground and sending out shockwaves with his powers inadvertently. No one came near him, just watched.

" _You need to help them,"_ he thought. " _You need to stand up and help."_

But he didn't. He continued wallowing in his own sorrow. He watched Rome as it burned in a single night.

xxxXXXxxx

Piper stood protectively in front of Jason, despite Medea being unable to go anywhere. "Leave us," she ordered, but Piper remained. The sorceress raised an eyebrow. "It shouldn't be possible to resist me…are you a Charmspeaker as well?" her lips cracked into a slimy grin. "Oh…but you don't want to use your powers, otherwise you'd have taken control of those fools by now," she claimed. Piper stepped closer, pointing her gun at Medea. "Perhaps I should've expected this; the Fates _do_ like to have their fun in these prophecies. Fine, go ahead. Do it," she said, not looking like she was afraid of dying. Piper hesitated. "What are you waiting for?"

Piper raised her weapon a bit more, to the other woman's head. " _By the gods…I…actually have to kill her?"_ she thought. Her breathing quickly became shaky, strained, and her heartrate began to pick up.

Medea snickered. "Oh how I long for the days of your innocence," she mused. Then her expression hardened again. " _Do it_ ," she ordered, forcing the gun closer to her head.

Suddenly, Piper felt sick to her stomach. Looking dead in Medea's eyes, knowing that it was an actual life she was ending, not a monster's, but another human's…

Piper dropped her arm to her side, stiffening her lower lip to keep it from quivering. She took a step back. "Pathetic," the witch chided. "You Greeks never _did_ have the stomach for this sort of thing. Fine then; pay for your weakness," she said, waving her hand a bit.

The lights shut off all at once. When the red emergency ones came on, Medea was gone.

Before Piper could even question anything, she heard a massive explosion go off below, sending a wave of fire up through the floor, just missing Jason. Very soon, another dozen explosions went off, the blasts coming from the walls on all of the floors. She quickly grabbed him, lifting him to where she could half-carry him with his legs dragging, she made her way back to Leo.

xxxXXXxxx

As Festus and Leo were totally kicking ass, the light suddenly went out. This wasn't a huge deal, as both of them could just create a light when they needed to. It was Grover who Leo was worried about. "Lee! Hey, where are you man?" the satyr called. Leo lit himself ablaze.

"Over here!" he said back before having to return his attention to the sun dragons. Festus didn't look like he needed Leo's help, but he provided it anyway, making sure the bronze dragon didn't get overwhelmed. "Alright! Let's fry 'em!" Before he could carry out the act, however, a low-level red light came on above them and the sun dragons stopped moving, before collapsing. "Um…okay…?" Grove, you good?"

"I'm good, they stopped attacking…for…some reason," the satyr was scratching his head as much as Leo. "Maybe Jason and Piper took Medea out?"

"Eh…Jason isn't the type of guy to kill someone," Leo noted.

"I gathered, but what other explanation is-" a loud beeping noise came from the sun dragons. The two froze, expecting them to boot back up on whatever emergency power the building ran off of.

Instead, all they saw was that their eyes briefly lit up, and then flickered out again…before flickering back on and off, getting slowly faster. Leo figured out what was happening sooner than Grover, but it was too late. "Festus, get out of there!" he cried.

The explosion engulfed the room. If Leo didn't hold back the flames, Grover would've been incinerated, like the salesmen were who were unprotected. Protecting them took everything Leo had; the impact and the intensity of the flames were so intense. On the plus side; he _totally_ felt like a Jedi using the Force to stop the explosion.

Leo's slight excitement at the idea was immediately gone when the blast cleared, and Festus' head landed at his feet. "N-no…" Leo dropped to his knees, both from sadness and exhaustion, looking eye-to-eye with the mechanical dragon's dying eyes. "Not like this…we…we only just met…"

More beeping was heard in the distance, muffled by walls between them. That didn't stop the blasting from punching through the walls to engulf the entire floor, not that Leo or Grover ever saw it. Leo was vaguely aware of the fact that he had no strength to push back another explosion, but he found he wouldn't have to.

A flash of silver entered his vision, followed by a shroud of darkness. He heard the explosions around them, as well as the grunts of several girls, struggling against their force. When they faded, sight was given back to him.

A group of girls had appeared out of nowhere and covered Leo and Grover (and Festus' head) with a flame-proof tarp, holding it down around them from the inside. Leo blinked several times, not sure what he was seeing.

A group of twenty or so girls, most of them looking no older than twelve, were crowded around him and Grover defensively, alert for any other threats. "That is enough," a voice called from their front, and a woman looking around eighteen moved to greet the two questers. "I sense no more danger here."

Grover chuckled. "Been a while, Lady Artemis," he said, his tone respectful. He bowed his head. Leo didn't; he was too dumbfounded. The woman noted his staring.

"…Is he…?" she was probably going to ask if he was a pervert, and as Leo later learned, she would've turned him into a jackalope if the answer was 'yes'. Grover looked at the son of Hephaestus.

"His brain might have short-circuited," he said, snapping in front of Leo's face a couple times. Then, Leo slumped back to the ground, reaching his hand to Festus' snout, now cold. It'd _never_ been cold before. "Or…he's grieving…"

Footsteps were heard, and soon, Piper arrived from the upper floor, which hadn't been hit as hard, with an unconscious Jason leaning on her. His eyes were rolled back into his head; probably not healthy. "Janette, Michelle, help them. Tend to whatever injuries they have," the woman ordered, and two girls jogged over to them. She turned back to Grover. "I had heard you four were travelling west, and was asked to help."

"Percy?"

"Percy," she confirmed. "Now, we must leave this place; Lady Hera is in grave peril, and must not be kept waiting for longer than necessary."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Yo shut up! I'm still on time at like 11:40 at night! Anyway, uh...I may or may not be addicted to Celeste for the Switch...I think I need to go through some withdraw...or just beat it and leave it at that. Either way, making steady progress on Son of Neptune finale. I'll still be delaying between the end of The Lost Hero and the beginning of Son of Neptune. I think it's fitting to let all of the information and character sink in a bit before we get all new ones.**

 **Either way, I'll try to upload earlier tomorrow, but no promises; late shifts suck. I'll see ya then, though!**


	14. Selfish As Always

Jason awoke feeling as if he'd been hit by a truck metaphorically. What it really felt like was that an open wound had had the knife twisted within it. His heart hurt and felt heavy, and he was fighting back tears even thinking about the vision he'd received.

And yet, he was left with the same question; who was the blond girl? What was she to Jason? A lover, a mother, a best friend maybe? Any of the options were possibilities, through the middle options seemed the least likely of them; she seemed too young. Her face, through the pain she'd endured, retained a radiance that Jason could never describe. It was that kind of youthful…glow that came from people like…well, Jason didn't know anybody else like that; again, indescribable.

Whatever she was to him, the pain of loss when she died was something Jason never truly forgot; the pain had lingered, even if it'd been dulled by the loss of the actual memory.

The son of Jupiter looked around, confused by his surroundings. He seemed to be at a campground, surrounded by small tents in a circle, probably a dozen of them, with a larger one acting as the head of the circle. Jason had awoken beside a fire in the middle. Despite the freezing temperatures (which actually seemed to be lessened somewhat within the circle of tents, Jason would learn), hardly anyone was around him. It was just the four questers and another woman, looking eighteen, with crescent-shaped highlights on the edge of her pupils. She was more beautiful than anything or anyone Jason had ever seen…well, it was a toss-up. Piper was also extremely beautiful in her own way.

" _Stop thinking about it so much,"_ he said, noticing the others' eyes on him. He sat up and faced toward them, clearing his throat. "What…what happened?" he asked cautiously, not knowing whether the woman was a friend or foe, considering what happened last time he trusted a stranger. "Where are we?"

The woman was the one who answered. "You are in the company of my personal Hunters," she said, gesturing to the girls at the other tents, some conversing with each other outside. "I am Artemis, goddess of the moon and of the hunt, but you may call me Zoë," she offered a smile.

"G-goddess?" he shot to his feet and bowed deeply. "Forgive my disrespect; I didn't realize who you were."

Zoë blinked, unsure of what he was doing, but then chuckled. "Well, it is nice to see that _some_ demigods still revere us as they once did," she said, acting as if it were a joke. "You may be at ease, Jason Grace; I am far removed from your Roman gods."

Jason nodded, and sat back down. "But…why would a goddess just be wandering the mortal world, if I may ask?"

"There are several who do; Olympus is dreadfully boring if you stay too long," she explained briefly. "Now I spend my days wandering and gathering the remnants of Kronos' forces that managed to escape during the War."

"Well, I…I have so many questions," Jason admitted. "Why help us? How many Hunters do you have? What are we up against? How different are you from your Roman form? Can you change at will?"

"All will be answered in due time, though let me make one thing clear," she held up a finger. "As of this moment, there _is_ no Diana," she claimed. "Only Artemis exists right now. There isn't even enough Roman influence in the world to where I could change freely if I wanted."

"But… _I'm_ here," Jason said.

"I surmised," Zoë took a sip of what looked and smelled like chai tea. Jason recalled when Lord Boreas' form only flickered when Jason gave into his Mother's teachings rather than solve things civilly. "But you are not enough, even with your stronger influence due to your blood," she claimed. "Though, that may be partially my fault; I began as a Greek entity before I became Artemis, so it could be that calling on my Roman aspect would prove difficult anyway."

An idea suddenly shot into Jason's head. "The wind spirits!" he exclaimed. Piper caught him from leaping to his feet again and pointed to the inside of the head tent, which was open, where he saw the cage inside. Jason took a deep breath.

"Do not fear, Jason grace; I have been informed of your goal by your allies. All is well."

The fact that the literal goddess of the moon was assuring him _did_ put Jason's mind at ease somewhat. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong.

"Now, I have heard you have been receiving visions," Zoë said. "Is this true?"

" _Oh right…"_ he thought, as that gaping hole in his heart reemerged once again. Jason nodded, but kept quiet.

"I would very much like to hear of them," she said.

Jason hesitated; was he really going to say 'no' to a god? Yes, he was. "I…can't…" he said.

"Oh? And why not?"

"They're private," Jason claimed. The son of Jupiter avoided her gaze; he could tell she was seeing right through him.

"Painful visions are not healthy to hide, Jason," Zoë warned.

"Well, I wouldn't trust a Greek with anything this close," Jason spat, speaking before thinking. He took in a sharp breath. "I-I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't-" Zoë held up her hand, silencing him.

"I see you still have much to think about," she said, standing. "I must go make final preparations for the night," she announced. "Should you wonder about the Roman gods, Jason Grace, you need only ask. If not, then we depart in the morning."

"W…where are we going?"

"To Aeolus' palace, of course," Zoë said, before walking away. Jason blinked; the way she'd acted, he couldn't tell if she was mad at him or not.

He looked to his friends, but they seemed to be caught up in something else. Grover was the most attentive to him, but he didn't really seem in the mood for conversation. Piper, after Zoë had left, became very interested in her shoes. When she made eye contact with Jason, it was from a short darting from her shoes and back. She clearly didn't want to talk either. Leo seemed particularly distracted. He was looking across the way at Festus' head, which he'd insisted they bring along, so Leo could try and fix him.

Piper tapped his shoulder, having written a bit. 'Zoë told us why the Cyclopes reformed so fast,' she offered.

"It's 'Lady Artemis'," Jason corrected. Piper frowned.

'But she said that we could call her Zoë.'

"It's improper," he claimed.

"Relax, Jace," Grover said, munching on an aluminum can the Hunters had given him; Jason saw a pile of them next to the satyr, labelled "mortal droppings." "I've known Zoë since I was first beginning as a watcher."

"And was she always this unorthodox?" Jason questioned.

"Not really; she's chilled out recently," he said. "So it's fine."

Jason shook his head. "…I can't," he said resoundingly. "But I guess it's fine for you all to call Lady Artemis by her mortal name."

'So as I was saying,' Piper continued. 'She said it's been happening to all of the monsters around the country. When they die, they just reform where they were in a few minutes, instead of a few years. Zoë said it was because the Doors of Death have been forced open.'

Jason, distracted, noticed that Piper didn't put the proper accents on Zoë's name, for it to sound like it did. Then he started thinking on the right track. "Doors of Death?" he questioned, unfamiliar with them. "Like the gateway to the Underworld?"

Grover shook his head. "Nah man, that's in a recording studio in LA," he said. Jason blinked, simply accepting it. "No, I think the Doors are separate, but…I'm drawing a blank as to what they are."

Piper tapped his arm again. "Hm? What's up?" he wondered, noting her more reserved posture; curled up with her knees to her chest with her eyes down.

'I want to talk to you. About Medea.'

Jason wasn't aware that there was anything _to_ talk about. "Okay…what about?"

Piper took a deep breath. 'I couldn't do it. When it came down to it, I couldn't pull the trigger and stop her from blowing everything up.'

"You mean you…let her go?" Jason questioned. "Hang on, what even happened? I remember…passing out?"

'You did, and then I got her into a corner. She wasn't afraid of dying again; she dared me to do it. And I couldn't. Now Festus is gone. If it happens again, you might die too.'

Jason blinked and stared at her. " _What does she want to hear?"_ he asked himself. "Um…okay…"

Piper seemed dissatisfied by the answer. 'I should have pulled the trigger, right?' she asked. 'I let Medea-'

"Piper, there's nothing wrong with showing compassion and mercy," Jason interrupted, gently grabbing her hand. "It's what separates us from them. Who's to say if you _had_ done it, that there wouldn't have been a failsafe or something?"

Piper considered this. 'I suppose that's possible,' she wrote. She still didn't look satisfied, as she looked up at him with something akin to longing. Longing for what?

" _My approval,"_ was the son of Jupiter's immediate thought. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I think you did the right thing," he said, bringing a slight smile to her face. "I think it would've been fine to go through with it too; she was evil, Piper, and she didn't belong in the mortal world…" he trailed off, a vague nostalgic feeling coming over him. He chuckled dryly. "It's funny, I think I've had an argument before on that subject," he said, recalling the feelings of frustration at being presented with the 'killing' question. "I think I lost…wish I could remember who it was with…"

Piper's smile vanished as she looked at him. " _I hate it when he remembers his old life,"_ she thought. " _I hate that look on his face."_

The wistful look she was referring to soon faded. "Medea could use Charmspeak, right?" he wondered. Piper nodded. "Look what she could do with it…" he said off-handedly. Piper frowned, knowing what he was hinting, even if it was unintentional.

'No,' she wrote.

"Piper, think of what you could do. You could at least try and understand it."

'Like you do with your lightning?' she questioned. Jason pursed his lips. 'Pretty hypocritical of you.'

"…That's different."

'No it isn't. And I have thought of what I could do. I could make you kill yourself if I wanted.'

That was the last thing she wrote, before clicking off her pen, standing, and walking toward one of the tents. Jason took a deep breath. "I swear, that girl changes mood faster than Mr. D guzzles Diet Coke," Grover mentioned. Jason nodded.

"I didn't mean to make her mad," he said, though it probably didn't come off as being genuine.

"Maybe you shouldn't tell her what to do," Leo muttered. Jason almost jumped at the sound of his voice; he hadn't said a word since the son of Jupiter awoke, and seemed to blend into the background, so to speak.

"Hey, are you alright?" Jason wondered. "I…guess Festus was…?"

"Blown up…" Leo said, barely audible.

"I'm sorry, Leo. I'm sure you did everything you could," Jason began to reach up and put a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder, but then he remembered the flames. He hesitated. Leo didn't show any sign of noticing the incomplete gesture, so Jason awkwardly moved his hand to the back of his own neck, as if to scratch or stretch it. "A-anyway, maybe when we get back to camp, you can build another Festus?"

Leo didn't respond at first, and Grover was uncharacteristically quiet during the encounter. A few agonizing seconds passed, and then Leo spoke. "…Do you think I'm an idiot?" he asked, finally turning to face Jason.

"W…what?" Jason wasn't quite sure he heard right.

"I know you're afraid of me, of what I can do…you don't have to hide it," his words were laced with bitterness, but not at Jason. It was just sadness, at not being able to save Festus, when he'd repaired the dragon, gave him wings, gave him a second chance to live.

But the words didn't hurt Jason; it was the look that Leo gave him. It was like Jason was looking at a dying big cat; defiance, desperation, bitterness, and lamentation were all present in that look. And suddenly, Jason felt an overwhelming sense of guilt, though he wasn't sure at what just yet.

Leo stood, and without saying another word, shuffled over to Festus' head, where he curled up next to it and fell asleep.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason spent the whole night feeling miserable, and that wasn't helped by the fact that he couldn't go to sleep (he'd been unconscious for gods know how long, after all), meaning he just had to deal with his thoughts and feelings. That didn't mean they got resolved; that would've been far too easy.

Now, Jason's body seemed to be alright with pulling an all-nighter, but his motor functions weren't his highest priority. He was hoping to have another vision in his sleep. Maybe one explaining who the blond girl was or what she meant to Jason; anything to justify that gaping hole which had reopened itself in his heart.

But no. So, to recap the things that were going wrong in Jason's life; he _still_ had next to no memory of his life before a week and a half prior to now, one of his closest friends (aside from only having met him a week ago) is mad at him because he thinks Jason assumes he's an idiot, the other is mad at him for Jason trying to get her to work her powers more effectively, and Jason got on the bad list for the goddess of the moon.

" _Right, time to go make it worse,"_ he thought, shuffling out of the tent. He saw that the Hunters were basically prepared to leave, save for the tent he was sleeping in, which was quickly taken down after he exited it. He saw a miniature carriage with Festus' head on it, ready to go, with the other questers waiting beside it.

Within ten minutes, they were walking west. A couple Hunters claimed they would be moving a lot faster if they didn't have to haul around the metal head, but Jason defended the decision, if for no other reason than to get back in Leo's good graces.

For what it was worth, besides the fire thing, Jason still thought of Leo as a friend, as close as could be…for having known each other for a week and a half, that is. " _I should try and talk to him,"_ Jason thought, skating up to him and keeping pace. Leo himself was sitting on the mini-carriage, tinkering with some wires in the mechanical head. "Hey," Jason greeted. "Any progress?"

Leo didn't respond, though Jason couldn't be sure that wasn't just because he was in deep concentration. Jason couldn't see his eyes, which was his usual indicator of someone paying attention; Leo had them covered with his goggles, to see which wires did what, Jason guessed.

Piper tapped Jason from behind. When he looked, she was shaking her head. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but, again, she shook her head. " _Cool, so neither of them want to talk to me,"_ he thought, instead hovering above the others, getting a better vantage point in case of a monster attack.

"You would do well to relax," Zoë called from the front, seeing him flying above her. "Few monsters would willingly attack a goddess."

Reluctantly, Jason came down beside the goddess. "Sorry, just a habit I guess."

"All is fine," she said, waving it off. "Though I think we both know it was not for defense."

"What, so can you read my mind? I don't remember that being one of your powers."

She chuckled. "No, but it is quite clear what ails you. I have seen it on multiple occasions with someone a lot like you."

Jason didn't even need to guess that that 'someone' was Percy, because _everything_ in this world revolved around that man. Jason shook the thought form his mind. "About last night, Lady Artemis. I'm…sorry if I offended you."

"All is forgiven," she said. "So, tell me what is wrong."

Jason took a deep breath. "…A lot," he admitted. "I have no idea who I am, I've been getting crazy visions, _and_ my two best friends don't want anything to do with me at the moment, so…"

"Yes, the speaker, and the mechanic," she recalled. "It seems you all have something that you wish to keep locked away."

Jason nodded. "Do you think it was planned?"

"I think the Fates work in strange ways," she said. "Now, tell me more."

"…Why?"

"Because this will be a painfully long journey if we do not find a way to pass the time."

With another deep breath, Jason recounted his troubles in detail. He didn't tell Zoë about the visions; they _were_ personal, and Jason wanted to sort them out on his own. It wouldn't have been fair to the girls for him to have someone else tell him who they were. Zoë was quiet for a long time after he told her about everything. She hadn't once interrupted him, and she didn't look at him at all either, though Jason could tell she was listening intently.

"…I find you demigods fascinating," she concluded. "You are all so hypocritical."

Jason blinked. " _…Not quite the godly wisdom I was expecting…"_ he thought. "That's…what Piper said too."

"That is because we women have a certain knack for ascertaining the truth," she claimed.

"I don't understand what she means, though," Jason said. "She compared my powers to hers."

"For good reason."

"N…no," Jason said. "My powers can't bring _anything_ good, at least not my lightning. It's only used to destroy; she can do so much good if she would _just_ try and understand how it works."

"Mm," Zoë didn't argue for against the statement at first, just considered. Then she chuckled. "Selfish as always…"

"What does that mean?"

"Jason…I know something about you that you would not know even if you had your memories," Zoë claimed. "Curious?"

He scrunched his eyebrows. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

Zoë turned to him. "You are not the only 'Grace' I have known. I knew another."

"Well…it's a common name I guess. It's possible."

"No, not just any 'Grace', Jason. I believe I knew your genuine sister, born from the same womb," Zoë claimed.

Jason stared straight ahead. "That's…" he had no idea what to make of that. His first idea was actually that she was the girl who died in his vision, but no; she had silver eyes, whereas he had sky blue, inherited from his father. His second thought, though, was one that brought him another wave of melancholy. "Was she the Goth girl I saw pictures of back in the Zeus cabin?"

"Yes, she was," Zoë said. His attention zeroed back in on her from his thoughts. The goddess' face was in a shroud, her eyes glossy, her expression grim. "Her name was Thalia. Thalia Grace."

"She…died, didn't she?"

Zoë nodded. "As a hero, saving another…she was…my…closest ally…"

Jason found himself almost disturbed by the words; more by how she said it. " _She's…getting choked up…"_

Zoë took a long, shaky breath, calming her emotions. "Apologies; let us not dwell on that night, shall we?"

"A-alright…"

"Would you like to know more about her?"

"Yes, of course," Jason said. "Everything, if possible."

"Well, she ran away from her home because of you, or so she told me. Your mother was not all there after Lord Zeus' second visit, where he was in his Roman aspect and bore you, evidently. Thalia was to care for you, until your mother abandoned you. After that, Thalia left, sick of the woman."

"Then she went to Camp Half-Blood, right? She stayed at the Zeus cabin for a while, right?"

"Not quite. You see, she was dragged into a 'noble' crusade with three fellow travelers, one of which is the satyr you travel with. Without understanding they were thrust into, the four gathered several demigods while slowly travelling to camp. Their scent drew a whole horde of monsters, resulting in an epic clash outside of Camp. Only three made it out alive. Grover, and Thalia's two other original companions."

"But…that doesn't make sense," Jason said. "She…had pictures."

"Her father took pity on her; she was turned into a large pine tree imbued with Zeus' power, strengthening camp's borders. Jump forward to a few years ago, and a quest was undergone to retrieve the Golden Fleece because her tree had been poisoned by a traitor to the Olympians. Because of the unique qualities of the Fleece, it could sustain the magic of the tree without the blood of Zeus to fuel it, and thus Thalia was thrown out; age, seventeen. Half a year later, just before the Winter Solstice, when the original Artemis was taken captive by the Titan Atlas, recently freed from his eternal punishment."

"And then Artemis died and you took over," Jason recounted. "Bianca told me."

Zoë scrunched her nose up at the name. "Please refrain from mentioning the daughter of Hades."

"Yeah, she didn't have too high an opinion of you either; I believe she said 'eternal maiden, moon goddess, has a huge stick up her 'A' around most guys."

Zoë raised an eyebrow, smirking. "'A'?"

"I try not to curse," Jason claimed. "Anyway, back to Thalia, please."

"Well, paraphrasing, she did not wish to turn eighteen biologically due to the Great Prophecy, so she chose to join my Hunters as my Lieutenant, where, as you can plainly see, we do not age."

"Pretty selfish of her," he said. "Left the prophecy to someone else, because…?"

Zoë frowned. "Knowing how it turned out, I believe she made the right decision. I do not think she had the…unique skillset that was necessary to fulfill it."

"Mm…so…how did she die?"

"As I said, protecting another. A rain of arrows fell upon us with no warning; she shielded the hero of the Great Prophecy."

"Percy…" if nothing else did, that fact hit Jason hard. "…I was under the assumption that he was just a brute."

"He is, in a way," Zoë admitted. "But to the matter at hand, the reason why I brought your sibling into the conversation."

"Okay…"

"You may be surprised to hear about your sister's powers. Being a daughter of Zeus, she had, more or less, the same available abilities as you do. However, during my time with her, she never displayed any aerokinetic powers. She used her lightning exclusively."

"But…that can't be right; she would've fried everyone here, burned the whole forest down, right?"

"Not so. Granted, it's likely she, being born from a different aspect of the God of the Sky, would be able to use her powers differently. For example, you may not naturally be able to channel lightning through your body, but rather need to call on it from other sources of power, like the clouds of your father, or the air around you, or the ground; I hear it was _finally_ discovered that the Earth has a charge, after all. Even Thalia herself was limited to using her spear as a conduit for most of her life."

"But…how did she retain control?"

"Well, and I am far from an expert on the matter, for one she had a conduit; her spear was able to channel lightning into focused bolts that could be aimed with relative accuracy."

"…How relative?"

"Well, she was able to land a direct hit on a moving helicopter on her first attempt."

Jason nodded. " _That might be something to take into consideration,"_ he thought, though he also had a nagging suspicion that he'd tried something like that before.

"Here," Zoë handed a can of mace to him. "I have been holding onto it."

"And it is…?"

"It is the signature weapon of your late sister; the Regalia, a gift from her father. Until she was retrieved from Camp Half-Blood's tree, this was the only sign of interaction between the two of them."

"…Must've been hard…"

"Indeed. Now, back to your friends."

"Um…"

Zoë looked at him expectantly, but he only gave her a blank stare back. "Gods, but you men are dense," she complained. "You lack understanding, Jason Grace. You try and force them to use their abilities without understanding the hardships they have endured because of them, just as I am sure you have suffered from your lightning, judging from your view of it."

"B-but-"

"No 'buts'," Zoë chided. "Let me give you a hint. Ask them about their powers, but do not ask them to use it."

xxxXXXxxx

As Zoë and Jason were speaking, so were the other questers at the back. "So…how much longer is this thing gonna take?" Leo questioned.

Piper had hopped onto the mini-carriage alongside him, garnering envious looks from some of the Hunters who looked back at them. She took out her pen. 'The quest? Not sure.'

"…I hope it ends soon," the son of Hephaestus muttered. He'd given up trying to work on getting Festus back, at least without tools. "Was it this bad when you were on a quest, Grove?"

"Pretty much," he admitted. "But we didn't get no divine intervention to help us out, at least not for free. We had to get Ares' shield back to get a ride to Vegas."

"What'd you do there?"

"Waste all but one of our allotted days gambling," he said. The two gave him an incredulous look. "…What? It wasn't _our_ choice; it was a magical casino!"

"Uh-huh," Leo got a smirk on his face. "A likely story."

"Hey, watch it," Grover play-warned. "Hey, when are you guys gonna let the guy in, eh?"

The frown returned to both of their faces. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you guys giving him the cold shoulder after the Medea thing."

'He just needs to be kept at arm's length,' Piper wrote.

"He tries to dig his nose into everyone's problems," Leo agreed. "Like a dog."

'Or a rat.'

Grover grimaced. "Ouch, pretty harsh, don't you think?"

'He seems pretty critical of us, so I think it's justified. It not like we hate him or anything.'

"Okay…but if you want my advice; I'd say to bet on the horse with good intentions, rather than one that just goes along passively."

The two were left to think about those words.

The questers were all surprised how much ground they all covered in just a day. They seemed to go at least what they would've travelled regularly, even with Festus. They chalked it up to Zoë bending nature around them.

Suddenly, though, she got on edge. She stopped, halting the entire march. "What? What's wrong?" Jason wondered. Zoë's eyes darted back and forth, alert.

"…You need to go," he said finally. She was quiet. "We will cover your escape."

"What are you talking about? Escape from what?"

"Get the others," Zoë ordered one of her Hunters, and Grover, Leo, and Piper were quickly summoned to the front. The goddess then produced a small silver light from her chest, which floated into the air. "Altair, guide them," she whispered to it, and it morphed into a small bird-like apparition, with the head of a dragon. She then released it, and it flew a bit ahead of where they were going. "Follow the light; it will take you the rest of the way," she ordered, readying her bow.

"But…" Jason felt guilty; it would be the second time he abandoned a friend in need; first Lupa, now this. "We could stay and help."

"No!" Zoë snapped, her form flickering in a show of power. "Go; that is an order from a god."

Piper tugged on Jason's arm, and reluctantly, he fled along with the rest of them.

Her Hunters were ready, but even Zoë couldn't tell how many there were. They seemed to be multiplying by the second. "Prepare for the fight of our lives."

"We are with you, mistress," Phoebe assured.

xxxXXXxxx

That morning…

Percy had to climb through a mountain of rubble to get into Medea's shopping mall, where he found her alive and well. Percy frowned upon seeing her. "I'd like some sunscreen, please," Percy said in quip, readying his sword.

"You would not harm me," Medea said; she seemed to be in a bit of a bad mood.

" _Wonder why,"_ Riptide said.

Thankfully, Percy had taken some precautions, he had stuffed wax in his ears before arriving, having deduced who owned the mall, left and bought wax, and then returned. He wasn't affected by her Charmspeak. Percy was tempted to interrogate the witch for the direction in which the questers went, but he found that he didn't have to.

He noticed a silver arrow lodged in a slab of Celestial Bronze. He was going to leave peacefully, but then he was surrounded by four salesmen-looking guys. Percy inwardly sighed. " _You know, maybe if you didn't go around brandishing your sword, people would be more friendly to you."_

" _Bite me,"_ Percy returned, before charging for Medea.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, another day of no proofreading. Sorry about that, but at least it's an earlier upload than yesterday!**

 **See you tomorrow!**


	15. Conviction Is Noted

"The venti!" Jason exclaimed, though he could sense the danger lurking right behind them.

"No time!" Grover call ahead of him. "Leo, light 'em up!"

"No, wait!" Jason called, more for his own sake, but it was too late. Leo shot multiple fireballs haphazardly behind him, some of which Jason had to dodge, setting the forest behind them ablaze, the projectiles having enough force to knock the trees down, deterring anyone following them.

Now exactly _what_ was following them, the questers had no idea. They seemed like shadows, veiled by an unnatural greenish-brownish aura. The only clue they had was that they were humanoid. Other than that, they had no idea.

Once they made it a safe distance, they all caught their breath. Zoë's light stopped with them, though it bounced impatiently when doing so. Jason turned back to where they'd come from.

"We _need_ the venti!" Jason said. "And Lady Artemis is in trouble!"

"She told us to run, dude," Leo said.

"We need to follow her light; it was an order."

"I don't care!" Jason snapped, barring his teeth. "She's in trouble; all of them are! If we can help them-"

Jason was stopped, as Piper grabbed his hand reassuringly. She was screaming in her head for what she was about to do. "We need to follow that light," she told him. His eyes went hazy for a second, before he shook his head.

"R…right," he said, letting himself be led by her. "B-but…alright."

" _I'm sorry, Jason,"_ Piper thought. " _But we can't go back."_

Within a couple of minutes, Jason regained his own thoughts, but even then, he kept running. Even with all of his natural impulses telling him to go back and help Zoë, if Piper believed so adamantly that they should press on, enough to resort to Charmspeaking him, then he figured that that was the best course of action.

Soon, the path sloped upwards and became rather snowy. Jason took a moment to fly into the air, examining their surroundings. They were on a mountain…somewhere, or at least climbing one. Near the summit, Jason saw a flowing purple light. If he were a betting man, he'd say that that was where they were heading. Jason returned to the others. "How close are we?"

"We've gone…maybe a third of the way there," Jason relayed. "Everyone climb on; I'll fly us as far as I can."

With that, the four made it up to the peak within a few minutes. The light then curved around a small alcove, and once they passed it, and went into the purple light, they found that it was merely a reflection of light. The true source was a massive floating palace, which looked like it was in a perpetual "Oscars" mood, with flashing light abound and the sounds of crowds and cheering heard all the way from where the quarters were.

After another small flight, the four were on the palace, which felt a lot more stable than perhaps they were expecting. Before they could make it far on the carpeted exterior (and yes, they were red), they were met with a ghost.

Well, not really. A bit short, lacking feet, and slightly transparent, the aura that met them definitely looked like a nymph version of Casper. "Excuse me, sirs and madam, but no guests without a pass may be on the premises," she held her hand out, as if to blast them off the side.

"W-wait. We're here on business."

"Do you have an appointment?" the girl asked.

"Well, no, but-" without warning, Jason was shot off the side. The other three tensed. Grover stood protectively in front of the other two.

"Alright…we don't want any trouble."

"We don't tolerate 'trouble' here at A.G. Pictures," the girl claimed.

"Good thing we're not here to cause any," Jason said, rising back up and landing. "Please don't do that; it takes a bit of freefall time to catch myself, and it didn't feel good on my stomach."

"Oh!" the girl summoned a wisp of air, resulting in a small tablet forming in her hands. "You must be the special guest we were told about; sent by Zeus, right?"

"Jupiter, actually," Jason corrected. The girl scrunched her nose up briefly, before smiling.

"Well, this is _quite_ fortuitous, then. I will then be your tour guide through A.G. Pictures. My friends call me Mellie," her voice changed, growing a bit higher and more inviting.

She took them to too many places, including a waiting room, a broadcasting room, a dressing room, a recording studio, and many others. "So…what does Aeolus do in his spare time?" Leo wondered, impressed by the architecture, though her personally would've made the elevators and escalators go at triple speed, for the thrill…or because he was impatient.

"Oh, he updates Olympus," Mellie waved it off. "On all the happenings around the godly world."

"So…he's a news-broadcaster?" Grover questioned.

"Precisely! Speaking of, here we are; an exclusive meeting with Lord Aeolus himself. He only sees the _most_ important people in all the heavens! Feel honored!"

They were in one of the dressing rooms, where a chair big enough for the Statue of Liberty swiveled around, revealing a man…who looked like he couldn't even be bothered to stay awake. His head contained a mess of gray hair, twirling and curling haphazardly, with more wrinkles on his face than any of them thought possible.

"He's asleep?"

"Oh, sorry," Mellie floated to his cheek. "Um, excuse me? Excuse me, sir," she prodded.

"Eh?" the man's voice was gruff and slurred, like a Scrooge. "Wazit?"

"You have guests; sent by Jupiter himself," Mellie offered. The old man smacked his lips a few times to moisten them.

"I know I have guests," he claimed. "Name's Aeolus, manager of A.G. Productions."

"You mean A.G. Pictures?" Leo corrected.

"That's what I said. Name yourselves, then," his eyes started to close from either tiredness or boredom.

"Erm, I'm Jason, son of Jupiter. This is Piper, Leo, and Grover. We were told you could help us."

"With what?"

"We think Juno, or Hera, is in trouble," he relayed. "But we don't know where to find her. Lord Aqu- I mean, Lord Boreas said you would know which way to go."

"What in the name of Zeus makes you think _I_ know?" Aeolus inquired, which nearly sent the questers to the floor from shock.

"B-but…you're the master of the four winds. Y-you-"

Suddenly, the god chuckled, and then that chuckle turned into manic bellows. The questers exchanged nervous looks. "Ah, ah…" he eventually calmed down, noticing that they weren't laughing. "You mortals really need to get a sense of humor," his old demeanor returned; tired, bored. "So, what have you brought me in return for this information?"

"We…we don't have anything to give you," Jason admitted. "We had a pack of rogue venti, but…they were lost when we were attacked and forced to flee."

"I see. Alright, then. Goodbye," he swiveled away from them.

"B-but-"

"Unless!" he whipped back around to face them, his eyes bugging out momentarily. "You want to give me something, you will leave!" his eyes drooped, and he was back to normal. "Or…I have a better idea…I could just kill you now," he snapped his fingers, and a dozen harpies appeared around them.

"How do those two things connect?" Leo questioned. "Hey, Piper, you wanna maybe help out?"

She looked ready to, even as the thought made her want to vomit. "No," Jason said, stepping forward. "Wait, I do have something to give you."

Aeolus arched an eyebrow. "Then I'm waiting, mortal."

Jason took a deep breath. "I offer myself," he announced.

"What?" Leo said.

"No way!" Grover protested. "You can't do that, man."

But he stayed adamant. "I'm a son of Jupiter, with absolute control over the wind and sky. Surely you have a use for me; I could fetch you those wind spirits, I could be your messenger. You must have a use for a servant like me."

"I do," Aeolus said, smirking. "And this is for the duration of your life?"

"As long as it lasts," Jason agreed. Grover pulled him back.

"Yo, what are you doing?!" he demanded. "You're supposed to be leading this quest; you can't just give yourself up!"

"The prophecy said ' _in the end you fight alone'_ , maybe this is what it meant," Jason argued.

"You can't be serious," Leo said. "What are we gonna do without you?"

"I…I hadn't thought of that," Jason admitted. "But I have faith that you'll make it through. All of you; three is the magic number, right? You three can go back to camp after this is all said and done."

Jason looked at his allies, and each one of them pained him. Piper's look hurt the most; she looked almost betrayed. She thought he was abandoning them, which he sort of was.

Jason turned back to Aeolus. "Do we have a deal? You tell them where to go to finish the quest, and I serve you for life."

The master of the winds took a deep breath. "We do not," he announced.

"But…why not? What else do you want?" Jason questioned.

"Nothing; I just don't want you," Aeolus said in response, smiling. "Your conviction is noted and admirable, young demigod, especially from an Aduro. We Olympians had all but lost hope that you'd recover, but it seems there is hope yet. I will aid you, but it must be you who finishes this task."

The deity acted as if any of that made sense to Jason. "I…thank you. Please, tell us where we need to go."

"It is a bit disconcerting that you don't already know, but it seems Hera had done an especially good job of wiping your mind. Sonoma Valley, California. That place, where your journey once began, it will now end."

"Thank you, Lord Aeolus," Jason said, bowing his head in respect. "For everything."

"Mm, now leave, before I change my mind," he swiveled back away from them. "Whichever way the wind blows, and all that…"

"Um…I suppose it wouldn't be possible for you to take us at least some of the way?"

"Oh, it is _entirely_ possible."

"Then, could you?"

With a sigh, the request was granted, and the questers found themselves in Santa Rosa, California. "So…which way, boss?" Grover asked Jason. The son of Jupiter looked around, an immense feeling of nostalgia coming over him; he'd been here many times. He knew this area well. No, he knew this whole state very well.

"This way," he said, leading due southeast.

xxxXXXxxx

A mere four hours was all it took to bring a goddess to her knees. The fight was valiant, with a mess of coordinated arrows piercing the enemies' heads. An array of trick arrows which spew fire, froze them in place, disintegrated them, blinded them, and many more effects.

But there was no end to their numbers. At first it was twenty on twenty, and then a hundred on twenty. Then their numbers multiplied to five hundred, to a thousand, all converging onto the Hunters.

They gave their lives for Zoë, throwing themselves in the way of swords, axes, arrows. Each death was a blow to the heart for the goddess, for the woman who swore to protect them. And then, it was just her.

With no other choice, Zoë unleashed her Divine Form, calling the stars above to fight for her. The initial blast eradicated a good hundred of them, and the stars took care of another couple hundred. A sinister laugh was heard from beyond the horde of enemies.

"Foolish goddess," they said, their voice sounding male, but with none of the grandeur that Zoë would have expected from a god or Titan. "For all you fell, I will make another."

" _Show yourself_!" Zoë demanded, her own voice transcending that of a sound, but more of a feeling or a thought.

"In due time, when you fall."

Sure enough, another wave of enemies rose from the ashes of the dead, and attacked her constellations. After the initial burst, they didn't even seem particularly affected by looking at her Divine Form, and it was quickly taking its toll on her.

Soon, she dropped out of the form, exhausted and half-dead. She didn't have the strength to stand, let alone raise her bow to defend herself. She expected a swift end where her essence was scattered, but she wouldn't be given that.

A form appeared from within the ranks of faceless monsters. Behind her, Zoë saw woods; she might be able to escape, but…no, he had a hundred archers locked on her. She didn't have a chance. "You…I recognize you…" Zoë claimed, her voice raspy and weak. "You are…Alcyoneus."

The man grimaced. "Perish the thought," he said. "That name is dead. Dead and gone; the name of a failure."

"You cannot be him; he was…"

He grinned. "I'm afraid so, little goddess. It is time I bid you ado. Your time in this world has worn out its welcome."

He approached her, about to dealing the killing blow, when a force shot him away. A blast of water, followed by a lone demigod dashing forward and smashing his blade into the ground in front of him, sending out a torrent of water so powerful that it melted the enemy into nothing.

The man quickly recovered, the attack feeling like something of a love tap, and he faced the newcomer. "Ah, the Titan Slayer," he greeted the blade raised to face him.

"Tch…to be saved by a man…" Zoë lamented as Percy stood protectively in front of her.

"Hey, I made a promise," he shrugged. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Zoë didn't answer, keeping her focus on their adversary. The man looked from Percy to Zoë and back again. "How bothersome," he said. "Know that I _could_ crush you should I so desire, and I do, but alas; I've been given explicit orders that you be kept alive, Titan Slayer."

"Yeah, that's a shame; it takes away the challenge of me tearing you to pieces," the son of Poseidon growled.

"No, Percy," Zoë warned. "Do not start anything, not here."

Percy hesitated. "…And what am I supposed to call you?" he questioned.

"His name is Alcyoneus," Zoë relayed.

"False!" the man roared. "I told you, little goddess, that that name was _dead_!" he stepped back and became shrouded in what looked like mud. "Know this name, for it will be your end; Lust! It will be the last name you whisper as you perish from this world!"

He was consumed by the earth, and the army that accompanies him faded as well, into the ground. Then, they were alone.

Percy remained tense, unsure of what Lust could do, and therefore whether he was hiding. "It is alright," Zoë said, her voice hollow, her eyes unfocused. "He is gone, for now."

Within a few minutes, Percy had a fire started and a warm blanket around the goddess' shoulders, procured from the body of a Hunter, morbidly enough. "Are you okay? You should get patched up," the son of Poseidon wondered, noting the archer's many wounds, staining her clothes, the blanket, and the ground gold from her ichor.

Zoë didn't respond, just stared at the fire, traumatized, unmoving.

"Hey," he put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, and he recognized the look. She'd had it before, when the former Artemis died, back when she was the Hunters' Lieutenant. The goddess and her lieutenant have an unbreakable, unspoken bond, and Zoë had had to endure the other's death twice from either side.

"You would think I would be used to this by now…" she lamented, tears dripping down her face. She didn't ask for comfort, she was too proud, but she knew Percy was there, having suffered the same pain she was feeling. "After thousands of years…"

"After Thalia…" Percy agreed. "I'm sorry…but I don't think there was anything you could've done."

" _Ouch; not the best thing to say at this point,"_ Riptide claimed.

"He slaughtered us, Percy!" Zoë snapped suddenly, uncharacteristic of her. Percy was taken aback, seeing her form flicker. "Down to the last, it was a slaughter!"

"Whoa…calm down; your body might not be able to take another burst," he said, trying to sound soothing and friendly. Zoë nodded and buried her face into her hands, sobbing. The two sat there for several minutes, letting the goddess get all of her weakness out. Finally, she seemed to compose herself successfully. "You'll get past this; you always do," Percy assured her. She shook her head, her eyes blotchy and pink.

"I am not so sure…" she said quietly. "I believe…I believe it would be best…if I left the mortal world for a year or two."

Percy blinked. "You sure? It's been a few thousand years since that happened."

"I fear this is only the beginning, and I _cannot_ risk my Hunters any further, if today was but a show of power."

"You mean the Second Great Prophecy?"

"The Prophecy of Seven, yes," Zoë said. "…You do not seem all that surprised. Perhaps you have heard of something?"

"We're already taking measures so that it runs smoothly," Percy claimed. "Hera put us up to it; said there was some kind of threat, but she wasn't sure just what it was yet."

"Figures," the goddess turned back to the fire, her lips curled into a frown. "What was her plan?" Percy relayed it. "…Foolish. You will murder each other."

"You mean _I'll_ murder _them_ ," Percy corrected.

"Right," Zoë didn't feel like arguing, taking a deep breath. "I know what the threat is."

"That's great, because we sure as hell don't. You mind filling me in?"

"It was…a passing reference, but I mentioned the Sleeping Giants at some point, did I not?"

"Probably. Are they back?"

Zoë nodded. "Do you know what they are? What they mean?" Percy gave her a blank stare. "I do not know what I was expecting."

"Okay, in my defense, we both know I'm garbage at remembering myths."

Zoë shook her head. "Perhaps I should not be surprised. We gods have tried desperately to cover up the first Giant War. In short, the giants are nigh all-powerful immortals, born from Gaia and Tartarus. They were strong enough to not only require both gods and mortals to work in tandem, but the even _that_ was insufficient to defeat them, to even kill them once."

"…How powerful is that?"

Zoë considered how to phrase it. "Let us put it into numbers. Let us say you, with your strongest blast at this point in time, are a ten. Let us say that, barring its natural properties of disintegrating mortals, our Divine Forms release a power of fifteen. What I just faced, what you just challenged, was a twenty-five, at least."

"So what, they just won't be affected by your Divine Form?"

"No; at most it would force them backwards a small bit, but it would not harm them. Their power is unmatched, save for the Protogenoi. And yet…I do not recall them ever having any special capabilities like Alcyoneus just displayed."

"You mean reviving the dead? Yeah, seems pretty unnatural."

"Indeed. We can only come to the conclusion that they have grown even more powerful in their slumber; perhaps we should have trapped them on Olympus, rather than bury them so close to their mother."

"But…what's their play? They're back, okay; what do they want? Olympus again?"

Zoë shook her head. "I do not know…but whatever their end goal is, it is clear they are targeting Olympians…thus, I should not stay here."

"Then you should go to Olympus. You can teleport, right?"

"I…" Zoë turned away. "…I cannot. Contrary to your belief, teleportation is a draining thing to do."

"Your chariot, then?"

"Destroyed in the attack," she relayed. "…I realize that this is a bother, but if you could…escort me there…" she forced out he words. "I would be eternally grateful."

"But…" Percy looked west.

"I am sure the ones your trail will be fine."

"I'm not worried about them," the son of Poseidon said. "…Fine, but we're going at my pace."

"I-"

"And you can't keep up with that in your condition," Zoë's eye twitched; truthfully, Percy was only saying that to mess with her. He knelt down, his back facing her. Soon, she climbed onto his back, and he started running back east. "Honestly, you're too damn prideful."

"If you speak of this to _anyone_ , I will turn you into a-"

"A jackalope; I've heard it before."

"Fine…just so long as we are clear…"

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, we see the first Giant appearance, and already the Hunters are out of the picture. What do you think? Why don't you let me know in a review?**

 **In any case, I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	16. I Have Responsibilities

_Bianca approached the Big House, passing by Mr. D, who was sitting out a bit, deterring anyone from getting close, lest they hear the storm inside. He gave Bianca a nonchalant wave as she passed. She started hearing the yelling well before she made it to the door. She entered, with only Winona paying her any mind, giving her a nod. Besides her, it was the yellers and Chiron. That's it. This was too confidential to even tell the other counselors._

 _Bianca sat next to Winona, scooting to where their shoulders we touching. She leaned closer. "How long have they been going today?" she whispered to the daughter of Apollo._

" _Since I got here two hours ago, probably before," Winona answered. "I hear they fight at their house, too."_

 _The two jumped as glass shattered; Annabeth had thrown a baseball at Percy in frustration, missing barely and hitting the window. "What about 'you going isn't an option' do you not understand?" Percy questioned, his voice loud and overbearing._

" _Don't even_ pretend _like I've ever let you make my decisions for me!" Annabeth returned. Her voice was equally loud and matched his indignation. "If one of us has to go, then it's going to be me! I'm not gonna have you go and lose your memories and us have to work through your stupid shit all over again!"_

" _Like you didn't have fucking problems that I had to help you work through," Percy said. "Give me a break and just give it a rest. I_ won't _let you go. You have our_ child _in your stomach."_

" _It's in my uterus, thank you, and it's basically a ball of thought anyway. It only dies if I die, so there's no difference if I stay here or not!"_

 _The two continued yelling at each other. "Aren't we supposed to be debating too?" Bianca asked Winona._

" _Tried to…it didn't go over well."_

" _They both said to 'fuck off', didn't they?" the daughter of Hades guessed. Winona nodded._

" _I'm not gonna lose you again, Annabeth."_

" _You aren't 'losing' me, Seaweed Brain. We'll be back together in a few months."_

" _Or more," Percy said. "We have no clue how long this will take. We don't know what they're like, if you'll be able to convince them of our goodwill, anything! I can't send you off like that!"_

" _And you think I can send you off?" Annabeth questioned. "You_ died _for me before, Percy; I'll be damned if I let you go off like this! I'm going!"_

" _No,_ I'm _going! If I die over there, it's one life. If you die, it's two. Pick the lesser of two evils, Brighteyes."_

" _This isn't_ about _the baby, Percy. This is hundreds of lives we could be saving or dooming. We both know you'd fuck everything up with the stupid Romans, so drop it!"_

" _When I know it's important, I can persuade people," Percy claimed. "I'm not stupid, Annabeth."_

" _Ha! Could've fooled me!" she insulted. "You couldn't negotiate your way out of a paper bag!"_

" _I convinced Luke to come back our side, didn't I, Dulleyes?!" the room went silent. "Even after all of you said to just kill him! I_ still _did it!"_

" _D…Dulleyes…" Annabeth stepped back._

 _Chiron stepped forward, rubbing his temple. Even he seemed to be getting sick of the constant bickering between them. "And with that, I believe it would be best if we ceased the discussion for now," he said it so matter-of-factly. It was a few seconds before anyone didn't anything._

 _Annabeth had backed down, not from losing the argument, but at Percy calling that name, one which he hadn't called her in years, not since they'd gotten together. Percy managed to compose himself. "A-Annabeth…I'm…I'm sorry, Brighteyes, I…" he trailed off. He knew he went too far, especially with bringing up Luke._

" _Bianca," Chiron said._

" _Yes?"_

" _If you could, please escort Annabeth-"_

" _Don't bother," she said, biting back tears, glaring at Percy. "I'm going home."_

 _She stormed out of the Big House, slamming the door as she did. The sound echoed through the old building. Percy stared off after her. He took a deep breath. "Damn it…what the hell was I thinking?"_

 _It wasn't until that night that Percy saw her again; he had his duties as the swordmaster, after all. After he tended to the rogues, he went to their room. She was lying in bed, seeming relatively calm, reading a book._

" _Hey…"_

 _She held up a hand, not looking at him. After a second, she put her book down. "Hm?"_

" _I, uh…wanted to apologize, for earlier," he said, sitting beside her on the bed._

 _She smiled. "Consider it forgiven," she leaned forward and kissed him. "…Tomorrow is the deadline. We need to decide."_

"… _You can go," Percy conceded._

" _What? It was_ that _easy?"_

" _I've been thinking," the son of Poseidon began. "You're probably right. I'd screw it up. I'm pretty…confrontational."_

" _Deranged and violent and possessive," Annabeth corrected._

" _Very funny…" he said, his eyes getting misty._

" _Oh, come here," she pulled him close, his head resting in her bosom._

" _I just…don't ever want to lose you…if you go…you might not be the same when we see each again…" he said, fighting back tears at the thought of losing her forever._

"… _I get it, Seaweed Brain, I really do…but this is bigger than you and me. It's bigger than whoever is gonna join us in a little over half a year," she moved his hand to her lower abdomen. "But when I see you again, whenever I do, I'll_ still _be your Annabeth. I'll_ still _be your Brighteyes. I promise."_

 _Percy nodded, still reluctant to send her away. "…You need to promise me something else. Promise me that you won't do anything dangerous."_

 _She furrowed her brow, noting that there were many things wrong with that statement. "Percy, I-"_

" _Just…for me, please?"_

"… _I promise," she said, kissing him again. "So…we've got tonight, then."_

" _Yeah…"_

" _Wanna make it a good one?"_

 _Percy almost couldn't believe he heard that, given the circumstances. Then he looked at the daughter of Athena, who was already taking off her shirt. "You're serious?"_

" _Please…I'm always serious," she claimed, tugging at her pants. He chuckled._

" _I'm gonna give you a night not even Hera can make you forget."_

" _Try it, Kelp-for-brains."_

 _xxxXXXxxx_

Percy awoke with an incredible sense of longing. He held his head, with it having a migraine so bad you'd think he was suffering from a hangover. "Are you well?" Zoë wondered.

"…I'm fine," he said, unsure in tone. He stood quickly. "Let's get moving."

xxxXXXxxx

"We're here," Jason said, leading the four through thick brush.

"Um…you sure, man? I don't see anything…I don't even _feel_ anything," Grover said.

"Hm? You can't feel that?" Jason questioned, confused. "Like a…growing pressure?"

The other three exchanged worried looks, afraid he might've gone mad or something. "Nope," Grover said.

"Odd…" he separated a cover of branches. "Well, do you at least see _that_?"

"Whoa…" Leo was the first to see, ducking beneath Jason's arms and getting in front of him. "Must've been a great house…when it was built."

"Why is it destroyed? Is this where we're supposed to go?" Grover questioned.

The four approached a burned down mansion, entering a kind of driveway leading up to it, the path to which was shrouded by the Mist. "Yeah, this is it. I'm sure. I just…hope she's alright," Jason said, recalling seeing this exact structure in his vision of Lupa. " _She might kill you for showing her that kind of compassion,"_ he thought in the back of his mind. He quickly forced that thought down, pressing forward into the mansion complex. "This way," he said, leading them to the courtyard where he saw Juno.

Sure enough, both of the people who were there before, were there now, only Juno looked to be in much worse shape than before. Upon seeing her, the questers broke into a jog. "Is that…Annabeth?" Grover questioned. "What is she…?" he held his head, as if he was having trouble remembering.

"Apologies, faun," the goddess said, her voice raspy and raw. "Your hazy memories of this girl are my doing."

"Lady Juno," Jason knelt down. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Rise, son of Jupiter," he obeyed. "…You four…you are our backup?"

They exchanged confused looks. "Excuse me?" Leo wondered.

Jason quickly explained. "We don't know why we've been led here," he admitted. "I was given a prophecy, and the journey to fulfill it led to the Wolf House, but our purpose remains a mystery."

"Well, no longer. Tonight, once the clock strikes midnight, signifying the coming of the winter solstice, this place will be destroyed. They will send their strongest here to end my plan before it begins."

"Who is 'they'?" Grover asked.

"…" Juno looked east. "…You will learn that once you return to camp; I doubt I'd have the strength to tell the whole tale. You are to protect me. I need until tonight to finish wiping this Greek's memories, so that my plan can go into motion. Buy me that time, and I will be able to send away the enemy with my Divine Form, provided you have sufficiently distracted it."

"What about Lupa?" Jason said, fearing the worst. "Where is she?"

"Warding off another assault," Juno said. "Unfortunately, her battle is slow and arduous due to her injuries, but I can assure you that she will prevail."

" _That takes a weight off of my mind,"_ Jason thought.

"Wait, wait, wait, I'm confused," Leo said. "Why are you doing this? Why are _we_ doing this?"

"Patience, child," Juno said, clearly trying very hard to be gentle; it was the most unnatural thing for this aspect of her. "All will be explained. For now, focus on the task at hand."

"…One more question?" Leo prodded.

"…go ahead."

"What's with the golden chains?"

"They are to lock me in place, so that the enemy cannot drag me away. If they are to stop this process, then they are to kill me," she explained. "Now go. You must prepare. I fear if you don't, then _none_ of us will live to see the next year."

The questers obeyed, leaving the goddess alone to finish her work. "…So, game plan?" Leo wondered. "We don't exactly have the manpower to guard this whole place."

"This is the only place we need to guard; this entrance. Where we came in is the only access point to the Wolf House," Jason claimed.

"Wow, seems…convenient."

"It's practical for this very reason," he returned. "But for now, I think we should rest up. It's midday; we've been going all night."

"Agh, finally!" Leo plopped to the ground.

"Hey, let's start a fire," Grover suggested as he and Piper sat down beside them.

"Just in case, I'm gonna fly the perimeter; we don't know if there are any monsters hiding in here already," Jason said, lifting off the ground. Piper gave him a worried look, which he noticed. "Don't worry; if anything is here, I'll come get you guys. Promise."

About ten minutes later, Jason returned, having found nothing. He sat down with the others. They were all lounging about. Leo was asleep, Grover was eating a can, and Piper was looking at the clouds. When she noticed Jason land, she sat up and wrote. 'You should get a few hours of sleep,' she said.

"…" Jason wasn't going to disagree that is was for the best.

'I know you didn't sleep when we were with the Hunters. So you've been going two nights without sleep.'

"Mm, I'm fine," Jason claimed. "Thanks for-" she grabbed his arm and gave him a stern, hard look.

'You need sleep. I can tell,' she insisted, pushing him to the ground.

"But-"

"Relax, man," Grover said. "We've got first watch. No problem."

The two gave him reassuring glances, and reluctantly, Jason obeyed. Thankfully, he didn't get another vision; he didn't know if his body could take it.

When he awoke, he was alone with Leo, who was also awake and poking at the fire with his bare hands. The son of Jupiter sat up, groggy. "Where-"

"They're walking the edge of the house again, to be safe," Leo explained, more reserved than usual. Jason wasn't too dense as to figure it was because he was alone with Jason.

He thought about Zoë's suggestion. "Hey, Leo, I, uh…wanted to, uh…talk for a minute?"

"Okay."

"Um…it's been brought to my attention that, um…" Jason considered how to word this. "I…tend to…assume…? No, that's not it. I…I…you were right."

"Excuse me?"

"I said you were right. I am afraid of you," Jason said. "I didn't know why, at first, but I know now. Fire, to a Roman…it's a bad omen. Look at this mansion; it's a sacred place to us, and it was burned to the ground. Back in ancient times, it's said that Rome burned in a single night, stagnating the empire. And there's…" Jason caught himself, his most recent vision was still too painful to recount. "And I'm still not…we'll say comfortable, with you shooting fireballs everywhere…but I don't want that to come between us, you know?"

"…No, I don't."

Jason took a deep breath. "I think…I think it'd be easier for me to cope with your powers if I understood them. Understood what you can do, and what you can't."

Leo blinked, unsure of how to respond. "Well, I…I guess I could tell you about it."

"Please," Jason urged.

"Well," Leo lit his hand ablaze. "I can make fire shoot from my body. Like, all over," every part of him burst into flames. Jason recoiled visibly, but stayed where he was. Leo quickly put out the fires.

"Okay. Is there a limit to how far it can protrude?"

"Not sure. I don't think we want to test it."

"Okay. Can you light me on fire with your mind at all?"

Leo snickered, probably finding the idea a bit funny. "No. Believe me; I've had enough bad teachers to where I've tried it."

"But you can shoot it out. Do you know the temperature of the fire? Can you increase it?"

"Yep," he lit up his hand again and then flexed his fingers, making the flames change colors, until Jason could feel its heat from where he was sitting, even with the other fire still going. The flames suddenly went out, soon after it reached white. "Ah…kind of…hurts a bit if I strain too much. I'll work on it."

Jason nodded, weary of his flames becoming even more destructive. "And you're immune to fire too, right?"

"Yeah, and if it's still on my body, I can make it so it doesn't burn anything, like my clothes."

"Or another person?"

"Right," Leo grinned. "See? You've got nothing to worry about."

"Let's not, uh…let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Whatever," Leo rested his head in his hands. "So, we cool again?"

"Y-yeah," Jason nodded. "Just…give me time to get used to it, alright?"

"Sure, whatever you need, man," Leo grinned. "But in return, you're gonna help me."

"Um…okay?"

"When we get back to camp, you're gonna help me get ripped like you are, _and_ you're gonna help me get over my fear of water."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "…Why?"

"Because! If I'm gonna be a hero, I can't have those stupid things get in the way. So you're gonna help me!" another grin. Jason couldn't help but smile too.

"Sure man. I'd be happy to help. It's the least I can do."

Leo held out his hand. "Once you shake on it, it's official," he said, almost in warning.

"Uh huh," Jason took his hand, not even thinking about Leo's fire powers.

With that, the deal was sealed.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason found Piper walking the perimeter of the Wolf House, with the intention of making things right with her as well. "Hey, Piper," he got her attention. "I was wondering if we could talk."

She cocked her head to the side, confused.

"It's just…I think we should talk about your powers," he said. She frowned, and turned away. "Wait, I wasn't done. I…I think I was too hasty. I get it, Piper. I get that you don't want to use them. The stress it must put on you."

'You don't 'get' anything,' she wrote. 'I don't want to talk about it. Ever.'

She wrote 'ever' in big bubble letters so it would be clear to him. "I get that," Jason said. "And…I'm not gonna force you to try anything you don't want to. But…I want to ask you one thing about them," he said. "Why did you stop using them?"

She bit her lip, hesitant to tell. Reluctantly, she did so, if for no other reason than to get him off her back. 'It made my dad abandon me,' she wrote. 'Once he figured out I was using Charmspeak, he sent me away. He only found out after I accidentally caused a-' she cut off.

"A what?"

'I caused a car crash. It thought was harmless; I told someone to go left. They didn't stop, and we crashed.'

"By the gods, was everyone okay?"

'That's not the point,' she said. 'My powers are dangerous. When I see people like Medea using them do just get what they want, it sends alarms off in my brain. I don't ever want to use them.'

"Piper, I…I had no idea. I'm so sorry. I promise, I can help you get control, if you'd just trust me."

She wasn't done. 'What does it matter? I'm more than just my voice.'

"I never said that you weren't," Jason said defensively.

'That's certainly how you act. Every time it's my Charmspeak that you want to talk about. Nothing else. Is that all you care about me?'

"N-no, I-" he began, but Piper interrupted.

"Back at the Wilderness School, when we got together and we were watching the sunset on the roof, I asked you why you liked me. You couldn't answer then, either. But then you kissed me, and everything was fine. Are you gonna do that again?" she questioned.

"I…" Jason's mind went hazy. " _Did I really kiss her? When was this…?"_

Piper blinked, just remembering that everything from the Wilderness School was a lie. The thought only upset her more, and she shed a few tears before noticing them and wiping them away. She stopped speaking, then, just wrote. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean that,' she tried to do damage-control, but it didn't work. 'Well? Say something.'

Jason took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Piper," he said. "But I don't like you that way. I barely know you, if we're being honest. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea."

She blinked back more tears. " _It was stupid to think he'd fall for you twice,"_ she thought. 'Of course you don't,' she offered a hollow smile, but even Jason saw through it.

"Is there…something I can do? To make it up to you?" he wondered. "For giving the wrong impression?"

She thought about it. 'I want to watch the sunset with you again. Just one more time.'

Jason smiled. "Of course," he said, gentle and calm. He looked, and saw that it had passed already, just barely. They really didn't have much time before the attack; less than half the day left. "In fact…I'll do you one better," He picked her up suddenly, and flew upwards. Soon, they were at the point where it was sunset again. They watched the sun dip beneath the horizon. "Hang on."

He flew westwards, probably drifting south a bit, chasing the sun. Piper watched and grinned, amazed at the view. She didn't even mind the cold from being this high up. The orange of the sunset drenched the two, and for a moment, Piper was able to forget everything that had happened. It was just her and Jason, and it was perfect.

He stopped at a certain point; they'd drifted pretty far south, and Jason didn't want to lose their location by going out to the open ocean. Jason was smiling too, feeling a warm sense of nostalgia from the view.

Then he made the mistake of looking toward San Francisco, visible from where they were. His smile faded, and a wave of melancholy replaced his nostalgia. He was close to something, to an answer, when Piper shifted and got his attention.

She noticed the look he got. The one where he was thinking of his past. Despite herself, she interrupted it. Jason looked at her and gave another smile, but this one felt less genuine, like he was distracted. It faded quickly, in any case. "I'm sorry, again…" he started, which couldn't mean anything good. "When this is all over, when we go back to Camp Half-Blood…I don't think I'll be staying very long."

Piper looked stricken with grief, as if asking his why.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "But…I have responsibilities, Piper. And…I have to go back to them, once I make sure you and Leo are safe."

Within about twenty minutes, they were back at the Wolf House, having to enter through that thick brush like before; they could leave via the sky, but they couldn't get there via it.

A few hours short hours later, and the clock struck midnight. With a rumble, their enemy approached.

Little did they know of the fury that would engulf them that night.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hurray character development! I didn't proofread again, because I'm lazy...anyway, next time is the conclusion to the quest, and then we're going back to camp. So...yay?**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow!**


	17. If I Stay Any Longer

The first thing they heard was the roar. It was of something feral, ancient, and primal. It was also so loud tha tit nearly pierced their eardrums immediately, and so powerful that it sent a physical wave at the questers that was strong enough to knock them off their feet.

And that was just its yell.

When it actually appeared, it was so grotesque that it was a challenge to even look directly at it. Its skin, if one could be call that, seemed to be nothing more than solid blood, somehow leathery in appearance. It stood as tall as Jason, lean and muscular. Its eyes seemed like that of a reptile, with protrusions coming out the back of its head like wings, only one was broken off pretty severely.

Jason prayed that that was a sign that it could be damaged.

It roared again, its mouth stretching and thinning out like a snake's as it went to consume its prey. The questers shielded their ears and braced their feet, but the force was so strong that even then, it blasted them backward a good three or four meters. Jason suspected that that wasn't its strongest attack.

"What…what the hell _is_ that thing?" Leo asked, holding his arm up so he wouldn't have to look.

"That's…the enemy," Jason said, unable to identify who it was from myth. The creature gave them all brief looks, before taking a step forward. Only it wasn't just a single step, but it seemed to warp. No…it just moved too fast for them to follow.

Another move like that, and it'd be right on top of Juno. It moved to take another step. "We need to stop it!" Jason called, his heart not even having enough time to start beating fast. Desperately, he shot a blast of wind, momentarily getting the creature's attention.

It turned back, shooting him a glare so petrifying that Jason couldn't even breathe. Thankfully, that was when his allies joined in. Leo followed up by blasting it with a fireball. The attack didn't even make it flinch, but at least now it was distracted enough to turn back to fight them. Jason got the distinct feeling that it only did so because it was curious as to the idiots who opposed such an overwhelming force of nature.

"Uh, hey, how long do we have to do this?"

"Until Lady Juno is done," Jason claimed, flipping Ivlivs and getting a spear. Grover readied his crutch, Leo had his fire, and Piper had Echo. Jason made the first move, charging forward and engaging the creature in combat. Unfortunately, its reflexes made it so he never landed a single hit. In fact, it appeared like it knew what he was going to do, far before he was going to do it.

It appeared to get bored rather quickly, getting a sick grin on its face as it grabbed the shaft of the spear as Jason slammed it into the monster, and bashing Jason away with it.

Now with a clear shot, Piper let loose with Echo, laying down enough fire to put down a Minotaur, but each shot was precisely blocked the by the creature, with Jason's spear. Leo attempted a surprise attack, getting a white-hot shot off onto the creature's back, but it only smoldered for a few brief moments before the effect fizzled out.

Seemingly disappointed by the lack of worthy opponents, the monster then went on the offensive. It's first maneuver, lazily noting Jason's next attack, was the throw the spear at its owner.

Thankfully, it reached him perpendicular, otherwise they'd have a Jason-ka-bob on their hands, but the force of the throw knocked him out of commission for far longer than Jason thought it would've. It moved fast, straight toward Leo. The boy was unable to react in time, but Grover could, getting in-between them and blocking the blow, albeit while being sent flying in the process.

Leo, face-to-face with this monstrosity, lit his whole body ablaze like a peacock would display its tail. The warding mechanism didn't pan out, however. When Leo attempted a flame-boosted punch, the creature caught his wrist.

"Get away from him!" Jason yelled, having burst up and started a dead sprint to save his friend. The creature grinned again and squeezed Leo's hand, appearing satisfied to hear it crack. It then picked Leo up like a ragdoll and threw him at Jason.

The son of Jupiter managed to catch Leo without harm coming to either of them, but it left them open for the monster's assault. It dashed toward them at unreal speeds and shot a flying fist toward them. Time slowed for Jason as it approached, and he was able to dodge the first attack by throwing himself and Leo to the ground, but he couldn't do anything but take the hit for Leo when it kicked them across the way.

Grover's turn. While Piper continued firing on it, as it relished in just taking the magical bullets like they were marshmallows, the satyr snuck up from behind and bashed the creature upside the head. This might be a shock, but it also did next to nothing.

It turned, annoyed, and bashed Grover away before slowly making its way to Piper, who at least felt accomplished in that she was taking its attention away from the others.

Leo recovered faster than Jason, who was probably suffering from a few cracked ribs from the single blow he took. "Piper!" Leo called, seeing the creature advance on her. In an act of genuine bravery and heroism (mixed with stupidity), Leo launched an offensive of his own. He got a few good hits in, landing flame-boosted punches and kicks to the monster's torso and almost breaking its balance with a well-timed kick to the back of the leg. Leo even managed to dodge an attack, using his smaller stature to weave right beneath a planned headshot, which probably would've knocked him out cold.

Unfortunately, Leo's luck wouldn't last. After he dodged the attack, the monster whirled around and roundhouse-kicked the son of Hephaestus halfway across the courtyard. While it was distracted, Piper took her shot, getting close and getting a few shots into its head, which didn't do much.

The creature swept its arm downward, which Piper was able to avoid, getting shots on its eyes, before she was knocked away as well. Soon, Piper, Leo, and Grover were fighting once again.

Jason wasn't doing as well. That kick really sent him reeling, the pain in his abdomen screaming. He stood, shaky, unable to see properly from the black dots clouding his vision. "He's…he's too strong…" he muttered as his shivered. "He's…unstoppable…" He looked toward the massacre. " _Run…please, you have to run…"_ he pleaded in his head. " _You can't beat him…just…run…let me fight him. Let me be the one to die…I can't watch this happen again…"_

Grover was knocked unconscious, Jason hoped it was only that anyway, and shot across the way. Leo was knocked to the ground, onto his stomach. The creature smashed its foot onto his back, making him cry out in pain. When Piper went to help, it knocked Echo from her hands and the snatched her by the throat, lifting her up off the ground.

" _Get up_ …" he told himself. " _Fight_ …" He found himself shaking, feeling that haunting energy begin to course through him. " _You need to get up a fight! You're supposed to be a hero! Start acting like one!"_ The monster seemed momentarily confused, feeling a new power arise. It turned to Jason, who was shrouded in a fierce wind. " _If you can't do this, then Piper, Leo, Grover, everyone! You're going to lose them all!"_ he thought. "I am the son of Jupiter!" he roared. "And I _won't_ stand for this anymore!"

Jason summoned all of his willpower into himself, and a flash of light burst from where he was, caused by a massive bolt of white lightning having been called down from the sky.

Appearing excited by this new challenge, the monsters released Piper and stepped away from Leo. The two couldn't stand, let alone fight anymore. They only watched on in horror. Not of their enemy, but of Jason. Light engulfed him, the wind surrounding him and making his clothes and hair flow (making him _look_ powerful). The wind was so violent that it seemed to cut through the light they saw, resulting in an effect of white tears in their vision around him. That wasn't all, but lightning arced out from his body, pouring out of every part of it. His fists, abdomen, even his eyes. His eyes especially, appearing to be completely blocked out by the arcing electricity shooting out from him. Even his skin seemed to glow and pulsate with a white aura, the same color as his lightning.

"What happened to him?" Leo wondered, in awe.

"Jason…" Piper muttered his name, but she doubted that anyone heard. When he moved, Piper tensed, he was giving off that feeling again. She'd felt it before, when he battled with Tempest. She wasn't watching Jason anymore…she was watching a monster.

The creature was momentarily stunned when Jason attacked. The son of Jupiter flew faster than even the monster had, becoming one with his lightning. He slashed the creature with his own bolt, shooting it through the monster like it was made of paper, but it didn't leave a visible wound.

The creature stood there for a second, getting its bearings. Then, it frowned. After that, the frown turned to a deep-rooted scowl, then to a perpetual glare.

Jason moved at lightning speed again, landing another attack, but the creature was braced for it this time, standing its ground and retaliating. Jason moved out of the way, moving back, and holding his hands out, shooting out a concentrated, continuous bolt of electricity. It hit the monster with a resounding boom, and then split off in a cone behind it, straight toward the other questers.

Leo acted first, grabbing Piper and diving out of the way. He then jumped to his feet, his whole body aching from the pain of his back and arm, before running and grabbing Grover. "We need to protect Hera," he said, realizing that they'd just be in the way staying where they were. Piper wasn't so sure.

" _We wouldn't be in the way…we'd be another target,"_ she suspected.

The fight followed them soon after. Jason's lightning didn't seem to do much damage, aside from singing its skin a bit, like Leo's strongest blast had. The creature hadn't yet made an offensive, even with its glare.

"By the gods…" Juno muttered from her place.

"Hey, lady, how much longer!" Leo demanded.

"Just a few more minutes," she claimed. "Though…I doubt the boy can hold out that long."

The statement confused the questers, who hadn't seen anything suggesting that that was true. Then Jason got reckless. He went in close again. Instead of hit and run, he stayed there, weaving like light through the monster's attempts to ward him off, getting bombarded by fierce winds and brutal lightning blasts at point-blank range. Then, the monster caught up.

With one blow, Jason was beaten, in effect. One single punch that Jason wasn't expecting, straight to the head. He was shot flying like a speeding bullet into the wall thirty meters away, unable to slow himself.

Jason could no long try a close-up fight. He still stood, still in his enraged state, blinded by his own light. He shot haphazard bolts out in every direction, roaring like a madman, his voice, amplified by his powers, sending shockwaves through the courtyard.

The monsters returned in kind, yelling too. The force of that drowned out Jason's screams, and even overpowered his wind yell things. Jason shot more lightning at the monster, but his malignant aura was far too powerful. They ended up going astray, warded off by the creature's power.

Thankfully, right at that moment, Juno finished. "Finished!" she claimed. "Calm him down so that I can-"

"I don't think that's an option!" Leo exclaimed, seeing Jason charge again, forgetting his major injury to the head, before flying right past the monster and nearly slamming into the unconscious blond girl named Annabeth. He narrowly missed, and stood, looking disoriented.

"You must do something! If any of you witness my Divine Form, you will perish!"

"Piper! I know you don't like to use that special thing you've got, but I think now's a good a time as any!" Leo cried. Piper swallowed, her throat feeling dry at the thought of using her Charmspeak. Still, seeing no other alternative and with literally no time to waste, as Leo was trying desperately to ward off the monster, to little success, Piper approached Jason.

"H-hey," her voice was shaky and meek. He didn't even look at her. She needed to be stronger than that; for his sake. "Jason?" he turned to her, his eyes still consumed with that disgusting white light. "It's me, Piper. You know me, right? We're friends…? I need you to settle down. You're not yourself right now," she didn't her best to sound calm, though she was probably failing. Still, it seemed to work. Slowly, the wind around him faded, and the lightning dissipated. His eyes returned to normal soon as well. "That's it…that's it…" she eased him down to the ground, where he collapsed onto his knees. At first, she thought it was because he was suffering from his injuries, but she quickly realized that he was smiling.

"I remember…" he muttered. She kneeled down to meet him eye-to-eye, though he was still looking at the ground. When he did look up at her, tears were streaming down his face. "Piper, I remember _everything_! I…remember…their names were…Reyna…and Tempus."

"Yeah, that's great!" Leo cried, trying to get their attention to-

"Look away!" Juno said as the monster went for her throat. In an instant, an incredible force of pure light shot from her body. The monster was blasted back several meters, but still looked unharmed. However, due to the special nature of Juno's Divine Form, the creature's own form began to fade, or rather, start to be sent away. Hers was considered the safest Divine Form to use. Even if something survived it, it would be sent far, far away from her.

Soon, the creature had disappeared, and Juno and the questers were left exhausted. The Annabeth girl was still unconscious, having slept through the fight, while Grover had reawakened, being quickly brought up to speed on what happened. Within a few minutes, Juno disappeared, her chains having been broken when she unleashed her Divine Form. Jason noticed a presence and turned, seeing Lupa sitting injured, but proud.

"Mother!" Jason leapt to his feet, despite his dizziness. He stepped forward to greet the wolf, but wasn't met with hospitality. Instead, Lupa kept her head low and let out a quiet growl. "M-Mother?"

"You must leave," she ordered. "Now, before the girl awakens."

"But…your wounds. What about…I remember, Mother, I can-"

"Leave us!" she snarled. Jason recoiled from the display. "You are nothing to me, boy."

"B-but…Mother…" Jason found fresh tears coming down his cheeks. He recalled the prophecy; _to the Mother's chosen place, where her blessing she'll replace_.

Without another word, Jason turned around and ran. Soon, his fellow questers followed. They ran for a good twenty minutes before stopping, being well away from the Wolf House, and from Annabeth's southward trek from it that would occur eventually.

The quartet caught their breath, all injured and exhausted from their short but brutal battle. "Well done, heroes," Juno greeted them by appearing beside Piper. Jason stood, straightening his back, no matter how much he wanted to sit down and relax. "I'm impressed, given most of your lack of experience. You have done Olympus a great service."

Jason bowed. "Thank you, Lady Juno," he said, silently noting that his friends didn't follow his example.

"It wouldn't do leave this deed unrewarded, though I fear this is only the beginning of a much larger, longer conflict with those monsters, the Giants. If there is anything I can provide, just ask."

The three seemed quick to give their requests, Leo most of all. "I saw a really cool tool belt at Medea's place!" he exclaimed. "Magical, bottomless pockets. Can I get that?"

With a wave of her hand, it appeared and dropped into Leo's own. If Jason had to guess, that wasn't a godly power. She likely used a separate part of her essence to retrieve it and deliver it instantaneously. " _Makes you wonder if there's a limit to that power…or if demigods might have a variation on it."_

Grover was next, asking for a new pair of crutches, sturdier ones. His own had been destroyed in the battle. He also asked for some more hoof-shiner.

Piper was least eager of the three to ask. She made a gesture for her friends to cover her ears, not wanting any unwanted side-effects. They quickly obliged. "Um…I, uh…I want a sword. Jason and I designed it earlier; there should be a drawing somewhere…"

Juno's eyes glowed for a second, and then she produced the drawing in her hand. "This one? I'll be sure to give it to my son to produce. It shall be delivered in a timely manner…I hope."

Piper smiled. "Thank you!" she beamed before turning to Jason. 'Safe,' she mouthed, signaling them to uncover their ears. Juno finally turned to the son of Jupiter, the one whom Juno should despise most of all. Yet he saw in her something akin to motherly warmth.

"And you, young Jason Grace?" she asked. Jason almost considered turning down the offer; he didn't want anything for his deeds. He didn't do it for the reward, he did it because of the principle; Lady Juno needed help, and he provided, no questions asked. But then, refusing an offer from a god would probably make him look ungrateful. "I, uh…I actually have two requests…?" he said sheepishly, pulling Ivlivs and Regalia out.

He remembered where he got Ivlivs; he was chosen for a yearly solo quest to claim a weapon of his own, when he was only thirteen. Jason failed, being diverted to rescue several demigods who'd been trapped, and then another duo who were fighting off hordes of monsters in a sewer. Reyna was a member of that duo. Even though he failed, Lady Juno herself appeared to him, in the form of a peacock (yes, a male), who dropped the coin in his hand, for his acts of heroism. The memory filled Jason with warmth, for no other reason than that he was ecstatic that he remembered something about his past.

"I think…I want to merge these two weapons, if that's possible."

"It's entirely possible," Juno said.

"Just…replace the spear side with the mace can, but coat it with Imperial Gold," he said. Out of context, that was the strangest thing he'd ever uttered to anyone…that wasn't dirty, of course. In any case, with a wave of her hand, the two objects merged into one coin. It felt a bit heavier than before; Jason liked it. The side that showed an axe before had changed, reflecting a pair of wings. Jason recognized the image; he'd carried it on a flag many times. "And, my second request…in a few hours, could you transport us back to Camp Half-Blood?"

Juno frowned. "You may not return to your home yet, child."

"I know…" Jason said. "But…just for a few minutes, to send a message. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't."

Juno's piercing gaze nearly broke Jason, making him relent. Finally, she nodded. "It is currently five past two. Be back here by four, and you will all be returned safely. You have my word."

"Thank you, Lady Juno," Jason bowed once again before bounding off and soaring into the sky, flying southward.

It only took him a few minutes to get to where he needed to go. While he didn't care to admit it, he'd snuck out of this place on more than one occasion, and as such, knew how to enter without being spotted.

He made his way to the high quarter building, where the highest-ranked got to stay. He found the window he was looking for and stopped, laying his eyes on her for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

She was…serene, especially while asleep. Without her braggadocio, her form was soft. Her face seemed troubled, and Jason could bet why. Only after he'd stared at her for a few minutes did he realize that he was looking directly at her face; that thing that he hadn't been able to see in his visions of her. She was pretty, prettier than Jason remembered, with that ever-prominent fringe that she'd long-since given up trying to brush out from in-between her eyes.

He tore his eyes away, as much as he wanted to leap into the window and just wrap his arms around her in pure joy. But he couldn't do that. Instead, he opened the window only slightly, just enough to where a sound could be heard. He then tapped on it, and quickly retreated his hand from view.

Reyna was a very, very, _very_ light sleeper, as he recalled. Her eyes shot open at the sudden noise. She sat up, her brain trying to catch up, and looked around for the source of the sound. Then she heard a snapping sound. It was so distinctive, so familiar.

During their time together, the two had developed a method of communication without words, to send simple messages to each other. With each separate finger used to snap, be it the pinky, ring, middle, or index, they all make slightly different sounds. With Jason's powers, he could carry that sound on the wind farther than it would normally go. Each different sound had a meaning, which they'd both memorized. Alternatively, if they could see each other but couldn't speak (say, they were in a really boring meeting and wanted to amuse themselves for thirty seconds [which she definitely _didn't_ make a habit of]) they could just tap which finger they wanted for which meeting, like she'd feign pleading for help or something as a joke.

He'd snapped with his middle finger, the neutral position. It's meaning: safe. He snapped four or five times before flying off, praying that she understood.

Reyna did, shedding silent tears. "Thank the gods…" she muttered. Then she frowned. "…That we don't have magic cameras in here. Can't let anyone see me like this…" she stood and closed her window. "And I _told_ you not to leave the window open all night, you swab."

xxxXXXxxx

Lady Juno didn't wait around like the questers had to. Right before she left, her form completely changed. Before, she'd been wearing a cross between a ball gown and battle armor. When her form changed, her complexion became much softer, much more delicate, and her armor faded, not to mention her godly glow changed from a reddish-orange to golden.

Jason returned about an hour early. "Hey man, you're back," Leo greeted, sitting in front of a small campfire. "You're early."

Jason looked up at him, empty inside. After waiting for so long to remember where he came from, and to go there…only to have to immediately leave without anyone seeing him…

"Let's go," he said quietly.

"You sure? I mean…you still have a while, whatever you were doing."

"I'm sure," he said. "If I stay any longer, I don't think I'll have the will to leave."

Upon hearing that, Juno transported them to right in front of the Big House. They entered to see a goddess sprawled out across a ping-pong table. Zoë had been laid up on it, her head resting on a pillow, with many, many bandages covering her body. She wasn't the only one there. Percy, Chiron, and Winona were also present.

"You're back," Percy noted. "How'd it go?"

Grover shrugged. "About as poorly as ours."

"Yeesh, that bad?"

The questers looked at each other, and then nodded in agreement. "Though this _is_ odd," Chiron said. "Without fail, upon a successful quest, only three campers have returned. Now, we have four…"

"Um…no, actually, we don't," Jason claimed. Everyone looked at him expectantly. "Those three are your campers. I'm just an ambassador."

"You remember your past?" Percy inquired. Jason nodded.

Chiron took a long breath. "Then it seems we have much to discuss."

Everyone gathered around the ping-pong table, which Zoë had vacated to join in the circle. "What happened?" Jason asked, noting that the goddess was being very quiet.

"…I was attacked," she relayed. "By a Giant. If not for the timely arrival of Percy, I would be dead."

"She _said_ she was going to Olympus, but then she insists on staying here until you guys get back," Percy mouthed off. Winona hit his arm, shutting him up.

"Wait, why was Percy there to save you?" Jason wondered.

"I was following you," he said, shrugging. "Call me paranoid."

Jason almost got upset, but then the distrust set in again, so easily from one slip up like this. "…It's alright. I probably would've done the same, or something similar."

"Hey, _we_ ran into a Giant, right? That's what Juno said that thing was," Leo piped up. The others nodded.

"Wait, who are the Giants?" Jason asked. "I don't recall them from the myths."

"It is unlikely you would," Zoë explained briefly. "Because we Olympians are embarrassed by our failure to kill them, we shrouded their conflict as much as possible. They are strong, much stronger than us, and I fear they have only grown more powerful in their slumber. Now awake, they likely seek to ravage Olympus."

"So, like Kronos?" Percy figured.

"No, _much_ worse. Unlike the Titan Lord, who wanted to preserve the foundation to take over himself, I fear the Giants have no such desire. They wish to see Olympus fall into dust, and forgotten with time. They seek to destroy all life, not just those of demigods and gods. They will rend the heavens, the mortals, and even destroy the souls of the dead, until nothing is left."

"But…if the gods are weaker, then what chance do we have?" Leo wondered.

"The gods aren't all-powerful; they can be surpassed in power," Percy claimed. "Winona is slowly approaching the threshold to match the previous Apollo at least. Bianca and I are stronger than some of the gods as we are. Jason, you have the potential to be as well. Piper, your Charmspeak, if tempered, I believe can force the issue in a different way. Leo, you might not have the firepower yourself, but you can build and take advantage of mechanics to achieve a similar result."

Jason frowned. " _Me? Stronger than the gods? Yeah right…"_ he thought. He looked to the others, who appeared to be pondering the possibility. "Even so, what we faced…it doesn't seem possible for us mortals to fight it. Not as we are."

Percy shrugged. "Eh, united we stand, and all that," he waved the concern off.

"What?"

"We haven't told you this," Chiron spoke up. "But you are all a part of something much larger than this quest."

"I figured as much," Grover lamented, remembering the trials of the Titan uprising.

"Percy, if you would."

The son of Poseidon nodded, and recited a prophecy.

 _One burned and one fallen must risk it all_

 _Two sides alone, eons of hatred enthrall_

 _Three fatal choices, only one will mend_

 _For earth's last chance, destined seven rend_

 _Five natural giants, a storm will brew_

 _Six pure forces and a light break through_

 _Seven Half-Bloods will answer the call_

 _United the stand, divided they fall_

The room was silent for a bit, the words filling it. Percy was the first to speak. "This past August, I fulfilled another Great Prophecy, dealing with the Titans coming back and trying to take over Olympus. This is the second one, the Prophecy of Seven. Judging from what's happened so far, I think we can safely assume it deals with the Giants returning and trying to destroy Olympus. They're back, with new names, and they're way stronger than before."

"New names?" Leo wondered.

"Is that _really_ what you took from what I said?" Percy questioned.

"So what's their plan?" Jason wondered. "If they have one, anyway. The one we encountered didn't seem capable of planning. He was silent, angry, powerful."

"Sounds likes 'Wrath' to me," Percy guessed.

"What?"

"The one that attacked Zoë called himself Lust. I'd bet you a thousand drachma that they're going by the Seven Deadly Sins from Christianity. Some kinda pride thing; says their old names were the names of failures."

"That Wrath carries the hallmarks of Polybotes as well, bane of Poseidon. In ancient times, the Giants were made to destroy a single Olympian. There was one for all of us."

"Wait, made? By who?"

"Gaia," Zoë said. "The Protogenoi of the Earth. She slumbers most of the time, during which her sleep goes through certain phrases, like seasons."

"Wait, so we're going against Gaia? How are we supposed to beat her?"

"You cannot," Zoë said. "Even if you could somehow muster the collective strength to destroy her, she would either reform within a few seconds and destroy you, or she would stay dead and all life on this planet would cease to exist, as she is the beginning of it all."

"You don't know?"

"It has never happened," Zoë corrected.

"But…wait, this doesn't make any sense," Jason claimed. "The prophecy never mentions Gaia. It makes reference to the earth, but that could refer to the Giants, the children of Gaia, right?" no one argued for or against that claim. "And another thing. There are Seven Deadly Sins, but the prophecy specifically says _five natural giants_. So what, they'd just leave out two sins?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," Percy said. "Or maybe they made Giants of their own. Note, 'natural,' as opposed to artificial."

"Impossible," Zoë claimed. "They do not have the power to create new life."

"They also didn't have the power to summon entire armies," Percy reminded her. She looked ready to argue, but then realized she didn't have a comeback, so she just turned away, her cheeks red. Percy smirked. "Plus one for me."

"You're taking this awfully lightly," Jason noted, the distrust returning. "Almost like you expected this?"

Percy chuckled. "That's cute," he said, before lowering his eyes. "No, I was to _tear them apart_ for what they did to my friend, for what they're making _me_ sacrifice."

Zoë put a hand on the man's shoulder, calming him. "We agree that the Giants are our enemy, but we Greeks lack the power to defeat them alone. Jason, you remember your past, yes?"

The son of Jupiter nodded. "I…figured out before that I'm not a Greek demigod, I'm Roman. Now that I have my memories, I can definitely tell you all that I'm not the only one. Much like you have your Camp Half-Blood, to protect you and train you, we also have a compound to protect us and train us, called Camp Jupiter. It's much larger than Camp Half-Blood. When I was last there, the camp's total numbers reached nearly 250 demigods and legacies."

The number shocked the others. "How did you get that many?"

"Well, unlike this place, Camp Jupiter is somewhere to _live,_ not just occupy for a time to be trained," he explained. "Within camp borders lies New Rome, the safest place for demigods that we could muster. It's guarded by our Twelfth Legion, and is mostly occupied by veterans of the Legion anyway. People grow old and die there."

The Greeks exchanged looks with each other. It was hard to argue with Jason's explanation. "I just…with the Roman influence so weak, I didn't think there would be that many," Winona said.

"Speaking of, I want to know why it's so weak," Jason said. "Even with my being a more powerful and experienced demigod, Boreas couldn't even change his aspect."

"That's likely because of the war," Zoë said. "During the American Civil War, the Greeks and Romans fought as well. It destroyed the force they had accumulated to fulfill the First Great Prophecy. The Greeks won out, suppressing the Roman influence heavily. That is likely why."

"So we're weaker than the Greeks?" Jason questioned.

"I would imagine so," Zoë said. "You lack context, Jason. The Greeks are…how to put it?"

"You're a police force, we're special ops," Percy suggested.

"Something like that…maybe not so extreme a difference, though."

"But that's…that can't be…" Jason looked down, dejected. He'd spent so many years working to improve New Rome, to make the demigods better off. Only to be told that that was nothing compared to the Greeks, their livelong rival.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Percy said. "When we go over there, I'll be sure to help whip you guys into shape."

"What?"

"We're going over there?" Leo questioned.

"That was the plan," Percy said. "Not yet, though. We're supposed to get word from the remaining Roman leader when they're ready," he turned to Jason. "I assume you've let her know we're ready?"

"I, uh…I…yeah," he half lied. He _did_ tell Reyna he was alright, but…

"Any ideas on transportation?"

"…Why not just use Winona's chariot?" Percy questioned.

"Because I'm not going," she claimed.

"Um…"

"Look, if you all are going, then only Clarisse is going to be here to keep things going, and she can't even walk. I'll stay and keep an eye on things. Besides, I'm waiting for a certain blindfolded idiot to return," she explained. Everyone pondered for a moment.

"Airship?" Leo suggested. Eyes turned to him. "Um…I, uh…in the bunker where Festus was, I saw some designs…I don't think they were ever made, though?"

"Could you?"

"Of course!" Leo gave a thumbs-up. "It'll probably take a while, but we're waiting for those Romans anyway."

"Well, if nobody has a better suggestion, then I guess that'll do," Percy said. "I think we're done here. You four; you need to get looked at. After that, you need rest."

"But-" Jason started to argue, as there was work to be done. Percy grabbed his shoulder and offered an understanding smile.

"You need rest," he insisted. "Trust me; I've been on enough quests to know what it's like at the end of one."

xxxXXXxxx

After getting patched up with Winona, Leo was sent back to his cabin to sleep, but he disobeyed that order. Instead, he went straight to Bunker Nine. His mind was going way too fast to sleep, so he didn't.

He opened it up, and found a surprise. Festus' head was on his sleeping pad, with a small note left next to it. "Found this lying around, figured you'd want it back. –H"

Leo smiled, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of reuniting with his friend again. "Oh, do I have a use for you yet, buddy."

xxxXXXxxx

Lust was cold when he arrived at his destination. Even being able to move several times faster than any human, it took him a while to get there. Hubbard Glacier.

The Giant met up with his 'friend' in front of a large rock, with a golden Eagle staff embedded in the top. "I've returned successful," Lust announced. "The Hunters won't be around to offer a cushion anymore. The first phase is going well."

"That's what I like to hear," the man opposite him said, turning to face Lust. "But you're only half right. Your end went off without a hitch, sure, but their Queen is still in play. Not that it'll matter much; the daughter of wisdom will come to me pretty soon whatever happens. Whether it was with Polybotes or on her own, she'll come."

"You're sure? How?"

"Because they've yet to take the first step to rewriting what you're about to do."

"You mean…"

"Go on, you know what I want. Bring the God of the Underworld to his knees and make him beg for forgiveness."

"I don't want his forgiveness; I want his end," Lust growled.

"Then make it so. I'll be waiting for the good news," he said as the Giant disappeared in a green energy. The man took a deep breath and then grinned and then yelled out to the world. "Alea iacta est! Your God has begun his divine punishment!"

 **Author's Note:**

 **And so the quest is over. Personally, I like how it turned out, and for those thinking that it wasn't entirely satisfying, given how Jason and friends basically couldn't do anything, remember that this isn't the end. this is still the beginning. I'd really only say to expect payoffs starting with the Mark of Athena; consider it a blessing of the medium, that I get to make this into one long book instead of five shorter ones.**

 **Anyway, with that said, let me know what you think in a review! I'm not done daily uploads. We'll have three chapters rapping up the conflict with the cabin feud and Piper's own conflicted feelings toward a certain Roman demigod, so that she can get onto much bigger and better things to grapple with later on...or not. I don't know.**

 **But anyway, as with any quest conclusion comes some extra stuff. So, first off, if you don't know, I love anime. A lot of this story and the Cruel Spider are influenced by the medium. For those who are unaware, most shows have an opening and ending, each about a minute and a a half long. Mostly for fun, I imagine what the opening an endings would be for each "season" of this story, split between the adaptations of the five books.**

 **With that said, I already shared my pick for the ending, the first ending to Durara...rarararararararara...or whatever it is. For the opening, I'd choose "Hologram" by NICO Touches the Wall, with a fantastic cover by . For those who haven't read The Cruel Spider or those author's notes, I love , and this is no exception. I think the tone of the song fits with the overall tone of this first fifth of United We Stand, kind of low-key, kind of mello, at least compared to how it'll get towards the end. The lyrics are...not totally related to why I picked it. Normally they can tie into either the characters or the themes of the season, but this time, it mostly tangential at best.**

 **I'll say that they originally did relate to Jason a lot more. He was originally going to be a full knight in shining armor kind of thing. To a certain extent he still is, but I felt he wasn't relatable enough because he was so in control all of the time, which would've fit the confidence of the chorus in the song., as well as the "white" being referred to being the purity that Jason held all of the time, to contrast Percy's darker, more morally gray personality. So yeah, there's some bts for you all.**

 **Anyway, the next usual thing for finales is me explaining the prophecy. So, here we go:**

 _ **Burned who makes the sky their own**_

 **This refers to Jason, the Aduro (singer/burned one) who can fly and, at one point, claims the sky as his domain.**

 _ **In the end you fight alone**_

 **This could refer to two things; first is the obvious, he's the only one capable of even playing at being comparable to Wrath, and once he explodes with power, he's the only one fighting him. Second, and more interesting to me, is that he's the only Roman who, at this point, is fighting for the sake of the Greeks.**

 _ **To the Mother's chosen place**_

 **Self-explanatory, going to the Wolf House, Lupa's, the Roma's Mother, home.**

 _ **Where her blessing she'll replace**_

 **This refers to when Lupa tells Jason that he meant nothing to her, in order to get him to leave so as not to upset the plan, as she then gave her blessing to Annabeth to go ahead to Camp Jupiter.**

 _ **The Queen lies waiting, chains abound**_

 **Another self-explanatory one, Juno chains herself in place as she works through Annabeth's memories so as to merge the camps, as you know.**

 _ **Ideal shattered, ideal found**_

 **This one is really interesting to me. The ideal that was "found" could be Leo's newfound dream of becoming a hero, while the "shattered" one could be Jason ultimately failing to live up to the ideal of a hero at several points, most obviously when he completely gives into his rage and disregards his companions' safety int eh final battle.**

 **Or it could refer to Jason exclusively, as the ideal of a Roman is "shattered" when Jason laments using Lupa's teachings to tame Tempest, and then they're fully realized, or "found" when he gives into his rage and explodes against Wrath. Either way you look at it is cool to me, or some other alternative tha tI haven't thought of; you could let me know in a review.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow!**


	18. Don't Have Favorites

"Come on, all the way. Keep going!" Percy urged as Piper continued through the form. She laid down an overhead slash which was blocked before swiftly knocking her opponent off balance by hooking her foot behind their shin, keeping her blade in a close, defensive position to prevent a counterattack. She finished as he stumbled back, and Piper thrust her blade forward, holding it to his neck.

Percy clapped once from the sidelines. "Complete," he said; it was the first time she had done so successfully in one go. She beamed with accomplishment. "But sloppy," he quickly added. "Your stance was weak; if Sherman wanted to, he could've tripped you up in the diagonal after the step. Thanks, by the way," he addressed the boy she'd practiced against. "You can go."

Piper waved him goodbye. She tried to be nice with him; she figured he must've gone through hell with most of one of his cheeks missing, like Two-Face, or Jonah Hex.

"Let's spend the last twenty minutes fixing that, and we'll pick up from there tomorrow," Percy said, readying Riptide. Piper drooped her shoulders; she was already wiped out from that morning, when he'd made her join him for his morning exercises. "Don't give me that. Your impish friend says he'll have the airship ready by early to mid-June. By that time, you're gonna be as good as me; I'll make sure of it."

Piper raised an eyebrow, pulling her pen from her compartment on her sword. 'You mean when you're only using one of your swords,' she noted. It took him a moment to read it. He frowned when he understood it.

"Hey, I'm not a miracle worker here," he said, raising his sword. "Now go on; step-by-step again. We'll work our way up to normal speed," Piper nodded and began the form, slowly and methodically. Percy's tips ran through her mind as she did so. "Your feet have been a consistent hurdle for you," he noted. Piper stopped after a movement and shrugged. "It's because you're not using to pushing for things," he claimed. She shot him a haughty sneer and kept going. Within a few minutes, she finished the form, going over a few of the steps again just to make sure she got it right. Then, she did it again, but without stopping between steps. "No, your stance is still weak," Percy said. "Firm footings; dig your heels into the ground and lower your center of gravity each time you step," she nodded and tried again, without a target to practice on, just the air, but he shook his head, stepping in front of her. "Again. I'm going to try and push you down."

Annoyed, she did so. Percy backed up and avoided her as necessary. Then, without warning, he shoved her in the chest, knocking her onto her butt. He offered a hand, but she didn't take it.

"See? Step-by-step again," he urged. She sighed again, her expression visibly upset. Percy couldn't tell if it was because she was angry she couldn't get it right, or because he was chewing her out because of her not getting it right. "Unless you want to stop right now?" She considered it for a minute, then nodded and sheathed her sword. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll get it tomorrow for sure, Piper. I only _just_ taught you that sequence this morning. The fact that you're so close is huge. Be patient," She nodded. "Oh, and…" he rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "I've, uh…been thinking about what you said before your quest…about camp."

She smirked, and took out her pen. 'You mean my idea?'

"Y-yeah, your idea, about reminding them about fighting together. I think we should go ahead with it."

She grinned. 'I'll get some results for you by this time next week,' she claimed before bidding him farewell. She passed his first real class on her way out, who gave her looks ranging from flirtatious to envious to amazed. Piper ignored them all, moving to the showers just in time for her cabin's turn.

xxxXXXxxx

"Are you sure you want to do this, Leo?" Jason questioned, about to present his idea to the younger boy for making him stronger physically and helping him overcome his fear of water.

"A hundred percent!" the son of Hephaestus claimed, giving a thumbs-up. Jason was surprised at how chipper he was, considering most nights he only got two hours of sleep because he was so busy with the airship. His cabin was the only one working on it, despite Percy's suggestion to let the other cabins help to get it down faster or better, and he was made their cabin counselor because of…well, mostly because there was no better option, since Jake didn't want it anymore.

"Okay…" Jason still wasn't too sure about this idea. He gave Leo the paper, without realizing that the kid was dyslexic. He waited as Leo examined it, his eyes crossing several times. "Well?"

"I, uh…I can't read this."

Jason sat there, stunned for a minute, before remembering how most demigods work. "O-okay, well. Basically, you're mainly going to be planking in a bathtub."

"Uh…"

"Clothed, of course. The planking will ultimately help you build up your core muscles, give you overall better strength and endurance. The water will be filled up to where if you break your plank, you submerge your head. Especially at the beginning, you'll be breaking it a lot, so it'll get you used to being underwater. That's the main thing, along with some basic cardio and resistance training."

"And…this will make me buff?"

"It'll make you workable and healthy. It's not gonna make you into The Rock," Jason said.

Leo took a deep breath, determined. "Okay…when do we get started?"

xxxXXXxxx

"Oh, by all the gods on heaven and Earth make it stop!" Leo cried, drawing the attention of some passing Hermes kids.

"Leo, just drop down," Jason said, sitting beside the tub.

"I can't!" he cried. "I just can't!"

"Well, you're gonna have to," the son of Jupiter stood, going to get something to do.

"W-where are you going?!" Leo demanded, sounding hysterical.

"I'll be back soon," he assured. Sure enough, he was. He bought a few colors of paint, a brush, and a canvas, feeling an urge to paint a landscape. "Have you dropped at all yet?" Jason asked, though he could tell by the lack of dripping that he hadn't. Leo shot him a glare. "Hey, this was your request," he said. "Hm…this should be an interesting angle…"

"I swear, if you're drawing me-"

"Relax, Leo. I'm painting the Sound. I wouldn't blight my work with your face if my father requested it."

Leo looked stunned. "Was that…an insult?"

"…I guess?" Jason didn't see much of the issue.

"I just…haven't heard that from you, is all."

Jason considered that for a moment, and then sighed. "Well, I guess that goes to show that you Greeks have rubbed off on me more than I realize. All the more reason to get back to Camp Jupiter as soon as possible."

"Hey, Jason, you know that this is a home for you too, right?" Leo said.

"I appreciate that, man," he replied. "And after all of this is said and done with the Giants, I want to stay in touch and remain friends, but…you and I both know that I don't belong here."

"Well, not with _that_ attitude!" Leo exclaimed. Jason, slightly annoyed, used his wind to shove Leo into the water. He stayed down longer than Jason expected, but eventually, he came back up into his plank. "Oh gods! Oh good lord. Oh man…" he couldn't even form complete thoughts. "Don't _do_ that!"

"Well, I figured you could use some rest for your arms after all that time," Jason waved it off, continuing to paint without thinking.

"What're you doing?" a new voice came from behind Jason. When he turned, he saw Percy standing over him.

"Getting into shape!" the way Leo said it made it seem empty without an accompanying grin and thumbs-up. "And…getting over my slight aversion to water."

"It's a phobia," Jason said. "He wanted me to help him overcome it."

"Well, if you just wanted _that_ ," Percy summoned a ball of water, which he contorted into many colorful shapes including a Cyclops, a lightning bolt, and something like a dragon, but more slender, more akin to what Eastern cultures perceived as one.

"Yeah, no thanks. I got Jason; he's gonna get me on a regiment. Speaking of, uh…how much longer?"

Jason ignored him. "What was that last shape?" he wondered.

"Hm? It was a drakon. We fought a couple of them a few months back, in the Titan War."

"Oh…"

"Why?"

"…I think I fought one too," he said. "On a quest. It was guarding…something…"

"Oh, care to elaborate?"

Jason took a deep breath, the feeling of vividly remembering something still being alien to him. "At Camp Jupiter, our leaders are called praetors, there are two at any given time. My…friend, Reyna, she was set to assume the position after one of ours perished. To become a praetor, you have to go on and succeed in a quest, where you go to retrieve one of Rome's lost artifacts, basically magical weapons that have gotten lost at some point or another. I went with her. I think a drakon was guarding it, only to be killed by…" Jason chuckled. "By an inseparable pair of warriors."

"How romantic," Percy smirked and gestured to the canvas. "Is that her?"

"What?" Jason looked back to his painting, which he only then realized wasn't a landscape at all. Unconsciously, he'd drawn a portrait of a girl.

"Uh, hello? Jason, how much longer?"

"That's…" Jason shook his head, getting himself out of his daze. "You're good for a break, Leo, if you think you need it."

The boy hopped out of the tub and grabbed a towel as he came around to look at his painting. The girl had pale silver eyes, always looking distant, and platinum blond hair. It was Tempus. Leo nudged Jason's shoulder. "Ooh, she's cute. Is that-?"

"She's dead, Leo," Jason said matter-of-factly, trying to distance himself from the memory as much as possible.

"Ouch, ooh. I'm…sorry, man," the boy put an understanding hand on Jason's shoulder.

"It's fine," he replied, taking a deep breath. "Her name is…was, Tempus Brookes, but she went by Tammy. She was our other praetor, before the Titans attacked, and then-" Jason's voice caught.

"It's cool," Percy assured. "We lost friends too, in the war."

Leo watched them, feeling distinctly like the outsider. These two were like war vets, with a mutual understanding between them. Leo had nothing. He grinned. "Hey, buddy!" Leo yanked Jason to his feet, despite the burning in his arms. "Let me get a shirt on, and let's go to the next thing, okay?"

Jason offered a hollow smile, despite him being grateful that Leo was trying to cheer him up. "I got classes anyway," Percy said. "Besides, I think I see Nyssa heading this way, so I should split."

With that, the three parted, with Jason and Leo going to do a long-distance jog, and Percy heading toward the arena.

xxxXXXxxx

A few days passed without a hitch for Piper. Sure, she was exhausted most of the day, but at the same time, she never felt more happy and productive. Mostly, she was just happy she had something to keep her mind occupied and not on Jason.

Ever since the quest…it wasn't like he was avoiding her. It was more like they just had no reason to hang around each other. Besides, he was busy with Leo and meditation, and she was busy with Percy and doing the survey…they just had little reason to speak.

Drew caught on quick.

She filled out Piper's small survey, basically asking 'what kept you going when the Titans attacked Olympus?', and then asked if anything was wrong. Piper quickly told her what had been going on. The daughter of Aphrodite would be lying if she said she wasn't thankful to be in the presence of another girl again. She wouldn't trade Jason, Leo, or Grover for the world, but they all were so dense about her more…subtle issues. And by subtle, Piper of course meant her boy problems.

'I blame our mother,' she wrote in Greek, having been practicing since they returned.

"You should. That's why we've got a general policy in this cabin not to fall in love with people at camp, or anywhere else," she returned, simultaneously conversing and filing her nails.

'Wish I could follow that policy.'

"Well, hon, it looks like you've got a few options. You could wallow in your own self-loathing, you could give up, which is a slow, painful process that I don't recommend, or you could go after him again, more forcefully this time."

Piper hesitated. 'But I don't want to seem pushy.'

"Well, you've got your Charmy-thing. Just use _that_ ," Drew offered. Piper shook her head.

" _Okay, maybe she can't relate just because she's a girl,"_ she thought. 'Next suggestion?'

Drew thought about it for a second. "Well, and this is just spit-balling, our last counselor, Silena-"

'The one who betrayed you guys,' Piper recalled.

"And who…redeemed herself," it sounded like she forced the last part out. "When she was dealing with her love life, our mother had us put on a singing competition. You could do something like that."

'Sing? In front of everybody?'

"Or just the lucky guy."

A shiver went down her spine as she shook her head. " _No, that'd be_ way _worse,"_ she thought. 'But what song should I sing, if I was going to do this?'

"I dunno. Ask him," Drew waved her off. It was fairly obvious by her rummaging through her make-up bag that her advice-giving session was over. Piper nodded and exited, figuring she'd gotten enough surveys done that day. It wouldn't hurt to find Jason and ask him…

Ask him what? Was she just gonna go up and say "Hey, what's your favorite song so I can woo you out of going back to your home?"

Even as she continued walking, she felt that what she was doing was supremely selfish, even by Aphrodite standards. Still, she found him, doing his daily session with Leo. "Hey, Piper!" Leo greeted cheerily. Jason turned and smiled.

"Hey," he greeted. She waved and smiled back, though she saw a couple of Hephaestus kids glaring at her from afar. She gestured to them and then pointed to Jason. He looked and nodded, going to speak with her alone.

"Alright, I'll just…wait here, then," Leo said as they left.

"What's up?" Jason wondered.

She took out her pen from its cute little holster in the sheath of her blade. 'Well, we just haven't gotten to talk in a while. I was wondering if it'd be cool to maybe go walking around a bit?'

Piper quickly realized how awkwardly worded the request was. She figured she didn't need the question mark, and was tempted to erase it and replace it with a period instead. Jason responded before she had the chance, though.

"I'm sorry, but I should stick by Leo. He's still not over the water thing, so I figure it wouldn't be entirely safe to leave him alone for too long. You're welcome to join us, if you'd like. I'm sure the children of Hephaestus wouldn't mind too much as long as I'm there," he offered. Piper frowned. "I'm gonna guess that's a pretty hard 'no'?" Piper nodded. "Okay, well…I can skip meditation today. Can I meet you at your cabin at five? I'd say after dinner, but it's Capture-The-Flag night, so we wouldn't really have time afterwards, so…"

Piper smiled; he was really cute when he was explaining unnecessarily, which was a weird thing to find cute. " _Indecisiveness is a good word for that,"_ Piper decided as she nodded to his second offer. He smiled too.

"Great. I'll see you then."

Right on time, at five, Jason met her at the Aphrodite cabin. Some of her cabinmates who didn't know the situation either snickered or made a suggestive whistling sound, but Piper tried to ignore them as she walked out.

They decided to go to the Christmas area, which was sectioned off from the main camp. It had a small pile of snow, not that either of them wanted to see any more of that, and a gigantic Christmas Tree, like one you'd see in a city plaza. It was the center of community at this time of year, even in a Greek camp. Piper saw a lot of couples walking around, enjoying each other's company.

A lot of campers had spent Christmas visiting their families and thus had to catch up with their girl/boyfriends, but Piper's dad couldn't meet her, so she didn't get that luxury. The best part about that day was when Piper put on her makeup, and she _wasn't_ hounded to put more on by her cabinmates, due to them all being away with their folks.

" _Okay,"_ she told herself, walking beside Jason in the middle of all of these couples. " _Just act natural. Ask him about something,"_ She busted out her pen and wrote while trying not to think about what she was asking. Unfortunately, it backfired. 'You wanna tell me about that Aduro and Nero stuff?'

Jason seemed taken aback by the suddenness of the question, and Piper inwardly grimaced.

" _You idiot! Don't talk about that; you're supposed to ask about something pleasant like…music…"_ she would've face-palmed had she not been in his company. She got so caught up in getting to talk to him that she'd completely forgotten why she asked to talk to him in the first place.

"It's an insult," he said. He looked to her for confirmation, as if asking if that was enough of an answer. Piper wanted to say yes, but then a million different questions popped into her head regarding it.

'Is that it? What does it mean?' she found herself writing. The son of Jupiter took a deep breath, and got that distant look on his face that he got whenever he thought about his past.

"It means 'singer' as in fire causes things to singe," he explained. "…Fire isn't good for Romans. As a…personal example…when I lost control of my powers, a fire consumed a lot of New Rome. You saw the Wolf House and the state it was in. Where we got the name, though…that comes from a long time ago to the days of ancient Rome. It's said that the last Roman Emperor of the, uh, Julio-Claudian dynasty, watched Rome burn down in a single night. His name was Nero…"

'Don't historians say he used his own funds to organize a relief effort?' Piper questioned, finding the name familiar; she might've taken a Latin course at some point in her life. She thought she'd forgotten everything she learned in school, though.

"Well, they also say he played a fiddle while it burned, when the fiddle wasn't even historically mentioned until the 9th century. No, in Camp Jupiter, it's pretty common knowledge that Nero was a…vindictive ruler. He was a coward who was too weak to secure his throne, so he burned Rome to reduce his detractor's numbers. After it all, when the Roman Senate tried to bring him in to settle the matter of his villainy, he committed suicide instead of facing up to his crimes. Actually, he wasn't even brave enough to do that; he had one of his allies kill him before the armed guards could bring him before the Senate," with each word, Jason's tone grew more bitter. "To be compared to Nero is to be regarded as something worse than being the worst Legionnaire in the Cohort, worse than a Greek. When Medea said I was worse than Nero, she was saying that I was worse than nothing," he took a deep breath and collected himself. Unknowingly, his wind picked up as he spoke, and Piper could feel the hairs standing up on her arm closest to him from his static. As he calmed, so too did his powers. "At least when they call me 'Aduro,' they're still regarding me as properly Roman."

They let that sink in for a moment. The speech only made Piper feel worse. Here she was trying to hook up with him, and he's struggling with these existential problems of being 'less than nothing' and preferring being insulted for what he was.

'No more talk like that,' Piper wrote. 'We're going to cheer you up starting right now.'

Jason offered a grateful smile at that. "Thanks, Piper. I…I didn't mean to get so angry there. Yeah, let's talk about something else."

Suddenly, Piper had a stroke of genius. 'Okay, so we don't know each other all that well, do we? Let's play favorites.'

"Favorites as in what?"

'We'll take turns. I'll go first. What's your favorite color?' she asked. She was going to go straight for the song, but she figured it might be too obvious if she did it that way.

"Color? Hm…" he thought about it for a second. "Purple," he decided. "The color of a king. What about you?" he returned, but then spoke before she could write her answer. "And hey, this is something we can just talk about without the writing," he pointed out. "Just a little Q&A, right?"

Piper bit her lip, hesitant. Jason looked about to take it back, when Piper said, "Okay." Jason flashed his pearly whites. "My favorite color is green. The color of the trees and nature."

"And snot," Jason pointed out. They both chuckled, and it didn't feel like Jason was doing it in response to Piper's, like way back on the bus to the Canyon.

'You've been hanging out with Leo too much,' she wrote, figuring she shouldn't take the chance of her powers forcing them apart.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he admitted. "So, my turn?" Piper nodded. "Um…favorite…animal?"

"I like…eagles…or hawks, or pigeons…or anything that can fly, except crows. Crows are gross scavengers."

"And pelicans; the laziest of the avian family," Jason noted, recalling fishing with Tempus and have a pelican steal her only catch of the day. "My favorite is…the wolf."

Piper smirked and opened her mouth to speak, before thinking about it for a second. Then she wrote her thought instead. 'Then you should love Percy. He's called 'the wolf' by a lot of people around here.'

"I mean _actual_ wolves. Like Mother," he clarified. "Your turn."

Piper bit her lip. " _Should I ask now?"_ she thought, feeling that the conversation had gotten rolling. "Favorite…vacation spot?"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Odd one…um…I think Olympus would be amazing to visit…unless you meant somewhere in the mortal world. In that case, I'd say…Mt. Everest. I'd _love_ to fly up there and just…see the world, you know?" he sighed, thinking of the experience. "What about you?"

"…" Piper didn't answer for a second. " _Anywhere so long as it's with you,"_ she thought, and then subsequently cursed herself for thinking. "Probably the beach."

"Um…" Jason gestured across the way, where there was a beach on the Sound.

"I mean the coast, the western one. My dad used to take me there, before he…got so absorbed in his work…"

Jason nudged her. "Well, he's missing out," he claimed, bringing a smile to Piper's lips. "My turn. Favorite song?"

"Song?" Piper wondered if she'd heard right. Jason nodded. "Um…I like…" she stammered. " _Damn it! Why didn't you think of this?!"_ She racked her brain trying to think of something. "Um…I like 'What Hurts The Most' by the Rascal Flatts."

"Hm, I don't think I've heard that one," he said.

"What did you say?!"

"I don't think I've heard that one," Jason repeated automatically.

"N-no, I meant…right, Charmspeak…"

"Well, I spent most of my childhood at Camp Jupiter; they didn't really value…modern things, much at all. Modern music was all but banned, except for some of the Legionnaires bringing in CD Players with headphones, but they were few and far between."

"So…what's your favorite song?"

"…" Jason looked to the Sound, into the distance, and got that look in his eye again. "…The only thing I could think of is what my friend sang every now and then…"

Piper almost screamed. " _Just say it! Just say her name! Drive the knife in further!"_

"I guess my favorite is 'The Parting Glass'. It's a, uh, Scottish song, I think," he said absent-mindedly.

" _Well, I guess I should be thankful that he didn't choose some weird ancient Roman instrumental song or something…did Roman's do instrumentals, or operas? What the hell did Romans do for music?"_

A horn sounded from the dining pavilion. "I guess it's time for grub," Jason said. "You ready? Sorry we didn't get to spend more time together."

Piper shook her head. "No problem, but I-" she caught herself, beginning to write. 'I'd like to do this again something, if it isn't too much trouble.'

Jason smiled. "For a friend? Never."

She walked slightly behind him on the way to the dining pavilion, staring at him. " _Idiot,"_ she thought, and she didn't even know who she was insulting; herself or Jason. " _You're too naïve. It's too…ugh…"_

Once they made it to the dining pavilion, they split with the intention to meet up before it ended. Jason wanted to go speak to Leo about how his airship was coming along, what he dubbed the Argo II, after the original Jason's voyage on the Argo, to secure the Golden Fleece. Percy scoffed at the name, saying he already did that on a dinky raft. When pressed for a better suggestion, he just turned away and pouted.

Piper found herself in the company of her cabinmates, as per usual for dinner. Drew found her first. "Well, how'd it go?" she asked before even saying hello.

'What do you mean?' she wrote in Greek.

"I saw you walking in with that hunk. Come on, give me the details. Did you find out the music thing?"

" _I don't know, did you?"_ she thought, still feeling guilty about the whole thing. 'Yeah. He told me what song was his favorite. I'll sing that one.'

"That's wonderful, hon!" Drew exclaimed.

Piper raised an eyebrow at her excitement. 'You seem awfully eager for this.'

"Oh please," she waved it off. "It's my _job_ to be in on the camp's budding couples."

'Well, it might be the only job you're good at around here,' Piper wrote. Drew snickered at that. Piper appreciated how Drew enjoyed her wit; it was refreshing to not have to worry about offending someone. 'Anyway, we still don't have a method of me singing to him, so this was probably all pointless.'

"Oh, don't worry about that, hon. I've got you covered," Drew gave a thumbs-up and stood up, stepping onto the table to look down on the others. "Excuse me! Excuse me, my fellow campers!" It took a few minutes, but soon, Drew had their undivided attention. Piper was trying to hide from view.

" _What the_ hell _is she doing?!"_ she screamed in her head.

"Thank you all. Now, I believe that it's more than apparent that our good camp is…fractured, to a degree. I believe it would be for the best if we started talking measures to alleviate this problem, don't you?"

"Shut up!" a Hephaestus camper threw a chicken thigh at her, which she dodged, and continued speaking, pointing in their general direction.

" _You_ are part of the problem!" she accused. "Now, when we last had to bring our cabins together, my mother, Lady Aphrodite herself, suggested we do so with song. I think we should try it again!"

"That's a _terrible_ idea," Winona claimed. "We're too busy."

"Oh, but my entire cabin agrees, right?" she turned to them, and they hastily agreed; they tended to follow Drew's direct orders, even if she didn't give them often. Piper refrained, but by doing so, she became the center of attention. Drew waited for her to agree.

" _Oh, this is her plan,"_ Piper realized. She took a deep breath, eyeing Jason and Percy, who both covered their ears. She would've looked for Leo, but he was in the center of a clump of engineers. "Y-yeah, I think it's a great idea. Don't you?" Instantly, an intense nausea filtered into Piper's stomach. " _Did I really just do that? How petty and selfish do I have to be? And to trick everyone on top of that…"_

Still, what was done was done. Very quickly, the opinion changed, and within another few minutes, the date was planned; two Fridays from that night, giving a full fourteen days to prepare, since it was Friday.

Drew stepped down and the normal dinner activities resumed. 'Why did you do that? That was-' Piper didn't even get to finish before she responded.

"Because I'm a genius."

" _Idiot,"_ was the first thing Piper thought, and this time, she knew full-well who it was directed at.

xxxXXXxxx

That night, Piper got a message from her mother, in the form of a dream. It wasn't anything special, Piper just awoke in her dream, within a really lascivious bedroom where her mother was sitting on the edge of a bed with red silk covers.

" _What was she doing before I got here?"_ Piper thought, hearing a door close behind her.

It was odd; Piper had never seen her mother, let alone met her. Yet, seeing this woman in thin clothing, Piper knew. She had supple lips, a curvy form, long legs, among other attractive features. Despite having had a glorious time before Piper interrupted, the goddess' make-up was flawless. "Hello, child," she greeted Piper, seeming absent-minded and distant, like Jason was when he thought about home. Piper hesitated to respond because of her Charmspeak; she didn't know if her mother would find her using it to be disrespectful. "Oh, come now child; I _gave_ you that power of persuasion; you don't think it could be used on me, did you?"

"…You gave me Charmspeak?" Piper wondered.

"I did."

"W…why?"

"Because I didn't want it anymore. I gave you mine."

Piper blinked. "So…you gave it up? But what about Medea? Did you give it to her too?"

"Oh, mortals can replicate its effects to a degree, but none as potent as mine. Or should I say yours?"

"But…why give it to me? Why appear to me now? What, am I your favorite now that I've done a quest? Or did you give me Charmspeak because I was your favorite or because you wanted to mold me into-"

"Favorite?" Aphrodite interrupted, her voice empty, like a void. She stared Piper dead in the face, her eyes displaying more despair than Piper could even imagine. "I don't have 'favorites' anymore."

"Then…why?"

"I already told you the reason, but don't start thinking I chose _you_ for a reason. I picked your name out of a hat."

Piper wasn't sure how to feel about that information. Part of her was relieved, that this destiny that involved her, with the Giants, whatever it was, wasn't preordained, that she could probably still back out. On the other hand, now her specialness was gone. Piper thought she'd been specifically chosen. Even in her darkest moments, Piper believed it was happening to her for a reason. Now…she didn't know what to think.

"As for why I'm appearing to you now; I've made it a point to get into my children's affairs, if you catch my drift."

Heat quickly rose to Piper's cheeks as she put two and two together. "You can't be serious. You were listening?"

"Of course I was. And I have to say…I approve of your decision. Well, the singing thing is so four years ago, but the guy. Ooh…if only he were a little older, maybe immortal…"

"Okay, stop. Like right there," Piper demanded, getting rightfully freaked out by her mother finding Piper's crush attractive, to put it mildly.

"Oh, you're no fun. Then again, he's not exactly a bucket of sunshine either. Oh well…in any case, I only appeared to wish you good luck, and to encourage you to use your powers wisely."

"What? That's it?"

"Of course," Aphrodite claimed. "Why else would I appear to you?"

"Uh, maybe give me a heads-up about the Giants?"

"Giants? Why would I know anything? The Huntress just found out about it a few days ago."

"But-"

A knock came from the door behind Piper. "Oh, apologies. My next guest has arrived. I'll have to bid you ado, my beautiful daughter. If you ever see him again, tell your father I said hello?"

And with that, Piper awoke in her cabin bed. She sat up and looked around, seeing that it was still dark out, but Piper didn't feel tired. " _Don't go wandering,"_ she told herself, laying back down. " _You'll either get killed in the woods or wake everyone up, and then they'll kill you. Go back to sleep."_

And so, she did, and she was thankful for it the next day.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Really sorry about the late upload; I work at in retail and we have inventory night so I got to stay until like 9:30. Hurray! Anyway, mostly character stuff for the last three of The Lost Hero.**

 **Let me know what you think in a review and I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	19. You Once Took A Part

This was easily the stupidest thing that Piper was forcing herself to do. She was more embarrassed here than when she had to face her dad after she stole the car. Waiting for everyone else to finish their songs, because of course they went along with it, Piper was behind the stage wracking her brain, trying to figure out a way out of this.

" _Stupid Drew,"_ Piper thought. " _Why the hell did she do this? How could I let her convince me to do this!"_

"Hey, Piper," Jason jogged up to her. "Wow…you look fantastic!"

She looked down at herself. Drew had forced her to wear what their mother had put her in when she'd been claimed. Her counselor had done her best to remake the entire look, for her own benefit of course. She offered a sheepish smile. She was frustrated enough to tell him to 'piss off', but she noticed him in formal attire as well. She didn't have her pen on her, so she settled for giving him a quizzical look and gesturing to his own clothes.

"Oh, this? I'm performing," he claimed. Another confused look was sent his way. "At first I was a little apprehensive about all of this, but it looks like everyone is having a good time out there. In the middle of the crowd, when Winona did a rendition of uh…I think it was called 'The Last Rose of Summer.' That got _everyone_ all emotional. Kinda nervous to follow so close after."

" _He didn't tell me he was performing tonight…"_ Piper thought, but then mentally slapped herself. " _Why does he have to tell you anything?"_

"I don't know…I've been thinking about our first talk. I've been listening to a lot of music since then, since it's…kinda embarrassing for a kid my age to not know any of it. I've got a new favorite; you'll be hearing that from me."

" _Great,"_ Piper thought. " _Now this is pointless."_

"Oh, I'm up. Wish me luck!" he said as he dashed through the curtains and onto the stage.

Piper didn't wave goodbye or wish him luck. She wanted him to just stay with her. " _I should just leave,"_ she thought. " _I should leave and never look back; I'll find some other way to get his attention. This was a stupid idea."_

Then she heard him sing. It wasn't fair, how good he was. He had to be good at _everything_. His voice had such depth, such nuance…he used it so expertly in a way that was impossible with normal words. Of course, it helped that the song he sang was gut-wrenchingly powerful stuff.

 _A light in the room_

 _It was you who was standing there_

 _Tried it was true_

 _As your glance met my stare_

 _But your heart drifted off_

 _Like the land split by sea_

 _I tried to go, to follow_

 _To kneel down at your feet_

 _I'll run, I'll run_

 _I'll run, run to you_

 _I'll run, I'll run_

 _I'll run, run to you_

 _I've been settling scores_

 _I've been fighting so long_

 _But I've lost your war_

 _And our kingdom is gone_

 _How shall I win back_

 _Your heart which was mine_

 _I have broken bones and tattered clothes_

 _I've run out of time_

 _I'll run, I'll run_

 _I'll run, run to you_

 _I'll run, I'll run_

 _I'll run, run to you, oh,_

 _I will break down the gates of heaven_

 _A thousand angles stand waiting for me_

 _Oh, take my heart and_

 _I'll lay down my weapons_

 _Break my shackles to set me free_

 _I'll run, I'll run_

 _I'll run, run to you_

 _I'll run, I'll run_

 _I'll run, run to you_

Those who were backstage, the other singers, were clapping. Winona sighed. "The second time we've done this, and this is the second time Apollo has been shown up by amateurs…" she lamented.

Piper herself had succumb to tears, having dropped to her knees upon the big chorus near the end of the song. It was an epiphany for the daughter of Aphrodite, and now that she'd had it, she couldn't, in good faith, leave. She was hooked, invested.

Jason walked backstage to see Piper sobbing. "Oh gods, what happened?" she questioned, kneeling down to try and comfort her. "Piper, are you alright?"

" _Oblivious,"_ she thought. " _You made me like this, you idiot."_

She wiped away the tears and tried to regain herself. She pushed him away as she stood, and forced her way out onto the stage.

The whole of camp was watching, seeing this girl whose make-up was all sorts of messed up, whose eyes were puffy and bloodshot, whose faced was red, who was about to pour her heart out and sever all ties to this crippling desire, brought about by her mother's blood in her veins.

She'd been told whatever song she wanted to sing would start playing when she thought about it. Soon, a guitar started, followed by this soft techno that played for quite a while. Piper sang and didn't stop until it was over.

 _The sounds repeat as fast as light_

 _The same expressions left and right_

 _It's all the same, no one will change_

 _It's all the same, no one can change_

 _I am honest_

 _If all my loving that I give you only brings me here_

 _And I can only take that place in your heart_

 _But then what_

 _I fear the day will come where I'll be the one to blame_

 _I'll wake the pain, the sorrow too, all the same_

An instrumental break gave Piper time to think, too much time. " _It was about her,"_ she thought. " _The song he sang was about the girl he's waiting to go back to. He had that look, that infuriating look he gets when he's not paying attention to me!"_

Her singing resumed.

 _And even so_

 _The reason that I'm living is so that I'll disappear_

 _Although this fact is weird to share_

 _The voice that is drifting_

 _Is shifting to break away_

 _With only the tears you are shedding_

 _Listen_

 _Even though I wanna vanish away_

 _Even though I wanna live and just stay_

 _Even though I wanna say but can't say_

 _I believe my voice is coming back to life_

 _How can I attempt this vanishing away_

 _How can I attempt to live and just to stay_

 _How can I attempt to say what I should say_

 _Come on tell me now_

 _Come of tell me how_

 _I look up, I'm passing through_

 _The black crowd stops right in my view_

 _They rustle and wander as ever anew_

Another tiny break, but Piper's mind was going fast enough to accommodate. " _He's too far gone for me to reach. No matter how far I run, no matter how outstretched my arm, my desire, becomes, he's still too far away! Just…just go away! Leave me alone! I don't_ want _to see you again!"_

Resume.

 _Even though I wanna vanish away_

 _Even though I wanna live and just stay_

 _Even though I wanna say but can't say_

 _I believe my voice is coming back to life_

 _How can I attempt this vanishing away_

 _How can I attempt to live and just to stay_

 _How can I attempt to say what I should say_

 _Come on tell me now_

 _Come on tell me how_

 _I loved you, you know. I once loved you saw._

 _The sky you once saw. It was long ago._

 _It vanished away. The voice that would stay._

 _And that was the sound. The dream that I found._

 _I'm thanking you so. I'm thanking you so._

 _I'm thanking you so. I hear you voice go._

 _It vanished away. And even the tears._

 _And even the hearts. And even the pain._

 _And even the thoughts. And even the smiles._

 _And even it all. And even it all._

 _It vanished away. It vanished away._

 _It's all just a lie. It's all just a lie._

 _But deep in my heart. But deep in my heart._

 _You once took a part. You once took a part._

 _You once took a part. You once took a part._

 _You once took a part. You once took a part._

 _You once took a part…_

A small instrumental break after, and the song ended. Without waiting for any kind of applause, Piper left the stage and ran. She didn't run far; she didn't have the energy or the drive to do so. She needed space to just get over herself.

Drew was the first one to come find her. "Um…h-hey…" she said awkwardly. "That was…pretty good…um…was it the right song, though? He doesn't seem like he'd be into…that…stuff…" she trailed off, quickly seeing that that wasn't the issue. She knelt down beside the crying girl and offered a hand. "Are you…alright?"

Piper fell into Drew's arms, sobbing into her chest, trying to just get the emotions out. She didn't speak, didn't rant more like, about why she felt the way she did. Drew didn't need to understand. The two stayed in that position, with Piper crying and Drew awkwardly half-kneeling down to meet her, for a long time. It felt like forever to Piper.

Then another person arrived to cheer her up. "Hey, Piper!" Leo greeted as cheerily as ever. "I saw you wander off and I…" he noticed Drew glaring at him. Piper momentarily stopped crying, trying to regain herself. It didn't work very well. "Hey, what's wrong? Piper-"

"Can't you tell that she doesn't want to talk?" Drew questioned, having little patience for the new Hephaestus counselor. "Especially not to filthy mechanic. Just go away!"

Piper wanted to scream; this was the reason the camp thought they did this stupid singing concert thing; to fix the rift between their cabins. Drew shouldn't have turned him away. In fact, Leo probably would've been better for her at that moment, but Piper didn't have the will to correct that.

Instead of pressing it, however, Leo stiffened his jaw and remained calm. "Piper, I…if you need me, I'll be working on the airship. Just…please be okay," was all he said before he turned and walked away.

" _Bless his heart; he's trying so hard…"_ Piper thought numbly as her tears began to dry.

"Hey…feel any better?" Drew asked softly. Piper nodded, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes.

"I don't think…I don't think this idea worked…" Piper said, chuckling. Drew smiled.

"You don't know that, hon. Let's wait for tomorrow."

"I…can't wait that long…" she returned, standing.

"Oh, going to see the lucky guy now?"

"I wasn't talking about Jason," Piper said. "Where's Percy?"

Drew answered automatically because of Piper's Charmspeak. Piper inwardly cursed for using it without noticing. "Across the Sound with the rogues."

Piper nodded and jogged off, stopping quickly at her cabin to change into more suitable clothes. She grabbed a boat and crossed the Sound, and then wandered into the woods, following the uproarious cheers that came from the rogue demigods' make-shift camp. Piper knew very little about them, only that they switched sides twice during the last Titan War, meaning they were, at least vicariously through their loyalty to Percy, Ethan, and each other, on the side of the Olympians.

What she saw looked much more fun than Camp Half-Blood proper. Instead of the multiple buildings with specific purposes, the rogues had built this large encampment with everything meshed together. Piper imagined that certain time was sectioned off for each activity; training, sleeping, dining, etc., with the whole area being taken up by that activity. This kind of setup worked for the comparatively small number of demigods that had to be accounted for, and this was why it would never work on a larger scale with Camp Half-Blood. Currently, the rogues were enjoying a prolonged feast.

That said, all activity basically stopped when Piper arrived, still in her ruined make-up and neat hair, wearing street clothes with her sword at her side. Murmurs erupted from the crowd of around three dozen people. "What is she doing here?"

"What do you think? Aphrodite or Demeter?"

"Get her out of here."

Percy stood from among them. "Piper," he acknowledged her, weaving through the seated people to get to her. "You're not supposed to be here. Didn't anyone tell you?"

She popped out her pen, and wrote in Greek. 'I came to find you. I want to train.'

"That's not my problem," he said, turning back. Piper grabbed his arm.

"I'm _making_ it your problem," she growled, her emotions getting the better of her for a brief moment, thankful that she hadn't told him to do something potentially fatal in her irritation. 'I need something to do.'

Percy blinked, surprised at the notion of her demanding anything. "…Alright. Meet me at my home in ten minutes."

"What?"

"You can't be serious?"

"You're leaving us for her?"

"Gods, shut up!" Percy snapped. "What separates you from her? Huh? That she wasn't tricked and lied to; that's it, and that's not something you should wish on anybody," No one spoke up. "You're all better than that," he said, turning back to Piper. "Go," he said, and she obliged. He waited, not hearing any noise come from the rogues. "Well? I thought this was feast! Come on!"

Soon, the cheers and laughter resumed. Percy just happened to not be there for very long.

He met her when he said he would, and led her to a small training area is what looked like a garage. "So, you gonna tell me what brought about this sudden urge?" he asked, setting up a training dummy for her to practice her forms on.

She took a deep breath. 'Have you ever had to just blow off steam and not think about hard things before?' she wrote. He chuckled.

"That's probably 90% of why I train so much," he said. She smiled. "And I know that you don't want to hear this right now, but-"

She held up a hand, stopping him. 'No need to say I can talk to you. No offense, but I've already got people to do that for me. It's a nice thought, though.'

Percy blinked again, almost stunned at this newfound drive, even if it was to avoid more difficult emotional subjects. "I was actually going to say we're going to practice the form you hate, because you suck at it and need to get better."

Piper's shoulders drooped, but inside she felt warm; it was something to keep her mind occupied. " _Sure it was, Percy. I'm totally sure you were going to say that,"_ she thought before she began going through the motions.

xxxXXXxxx

Piper trained well into the next day, yet she didn't feel tired. In fact, she felt energized. Percy noticed this and commented on it. "I get that feeling," he said right before sending her. "The feeling of satisfaction from conquering something. Of moving forward. I'm glad your journey was painless."

That intrigued Piper, given how it definitely didn't feel painless to her. It made her wonder what his own journey to 'move forward' had been like.

She didn't have time for that, because her journey wasn't entirely over. She moved forward; now she had to convey that she had done so to the person she'd been focused on for so long. She was glad to find out that he felt the same. She was on her way to the camp store when a piece of paper floated into her leg. She grabbed it, confused, and looked at the text, expecting a stupid prank by a Hermes kid. Instead, it read 'meet me during dinner?' in Jason's handwriting. She looked for him, seeing him meditating while Leo did his exercises. It didn't look like he sent that paper her way, but she smiled anyway, knowing he did.

And so, she did exactly what it said.

Jason was sitting by himself, along the edge, where very few people were around. Piper, after explaining to Drew why she was leaving the safety of her cabin and venturing near the 'filthy mechanics', met him there while carrying a small paper bag.

"Hey," Jason greeted. "Almost didn't think you'd come."

Piper smiled. 'I was considering.'

She expected a chuckle, but she got nothing at the quip. "Listen, Piper. I told you before that I'm not staying much longer here at camp. I meant that then, and I'll repeat it now. I…this may just be me, but I get the feeling that you were…trying to convince me to stay, for a while now."

The daughter of Aphrodite didn't answer for a good while. 'I have,' she wrote. 'And I'm sorry. It was stupid and selfish. I get that now.'

"Piper…you still like me as more than a friend, don't you?" he wondered.

'Yes, I do,' she admitted. She didn't feel embarrassed to admit it, just empty. 'But that doesn't matter; you already have someone waiting for you back at Camp Jupiter, don't you?'

"…Yeah…I do," he said. "I'm sorry."

'Don't say you're sorry. It's insulting. I'll get over it,' she assured, offering a sheepish grin. Jason wasn't convinced. 'I'm never going to come between you and her. Even if that's what Drew says I should do.'

He chuckled at that. "Appreciated, then…" he trailed off. "I figured it out, though."

Piper cocked her head to the side. 'What do you mean?'

"When you went on your rant back at the Wolf House, you said I couldn't answer about why I liked you, in your memories. I figured it out. My favorite thing about you is your eyes," She smirked. "I wasn't finished. I think your eyes are beautiful, but the way you see the world through them is just as fascinating. You always can tell how someone is feeling, and what they mean when they do something. I may be assuming again here, but I'm guessing that's why you broke down last night, because you figured out who my song was for?"

Piper was stunned. She'd never received a compliment that…sincere before. She'd been called beautiful many times in the past, much to her chagrin, but never in such a fashion. It was…heart-warming, to put it simply. Piper's smile stretched as wide as the Sound in that moment. She nodded. 'Yeah, I did. It was beautiful. When you meet her again, you should sing it to her.'

A laugh came from the boy, which Piper wasn't expecting. "Yeah, sure. If I do that, she'd probably kick me right out of camp forever!" he exclaimed. "And Piper, I still want to be friends. Would that be a possibility?"

The girl nodded again. 'If I'm going with you guys to deal with this, I'd like to not hate you, yeah. So long as you come visit every now and then when it's all over.'

"Of course," he assured.

'But, just in case you forget or you can't make it, I'm going to give you something to remember me by,' she wrote before handing him the bag. 'Consider it an early going-away present,' He reached inside, intrigued, and pulled out a white bandana. It had shaded doves on it, Aphrodite's sacred animal. 'You said I could keep the scarf, but I figure you should still be able to keep your neck warm.'

"Oh, the…" Jason's eyes shifted to the pink scarf, and a sadness washed over him for the briefest of moments. "Um…this is awkward…the scarf wasn't to keep me warm. I don't get cold from the temperature of the air; part of the deal for being a son of Jupiter and all."

Piper furrowed her brow. 'Then why were you wearing it?'

"It was a keepsake, or…a memento, more like. You don't want to know the whole story; it's-" she grabbed him arm and wrote 'I do, though" while she looked expectantly at him. "It's, uh…It was my friend's. Her name was Tempus, I may have told you about her. She was one of the Praetors are Camp Jupiter, before she, uh…she…gave her life to save mine. The scarf was a gift she received when she was promoted to praetor before that, by her mentor figure who moved down to South America for a philanthropy mission of some sort."

Piper nodded. 'So you don't need the thing?'

"Well, I didn't need the scarf either. But I'll keep it," he said, quickly tying it around his upper arm. "Right here."

Piper smiled. 'It looks good on you.'

"Thanks," he said. "And I actually wanted to ask you something too. Um…what would you think if I said I wanted to learn sign language?" Piper blinked. Then she gestured to herself before pointing at her head and then pantomimed putting her fingertips down onto a flat surface. "Um…"

'It means I'm shocked,' she wrote. 'I'd be happy to teach you.'

Jason smiled. "Great. I mean, I figure it couldn't hurt, and it'd be a way that we can communicate other than this back and forth with writing thing, you know?"

'Totally. But then, I want something from you.'

"Okay, shoot."

'Tell me about your friends at Camp Jupiter. I want to feel like I know them,' she requested.

"I mean…wouldn't that make you feel…?" Inadequate? Isn't that how people always felt when a friend was talking about another friend without really focusing on the one with which they were conversing. It was the same feeling like someone texting while they're talking to you; it just didn't feel right.

Piper persisted, however, and so, Jason began to ramble.

"Um…okay, well there's Dakota. He was the Centurion who stepped down so I could step up. He was alright, but he kinda was drunk a lot. Not on alcohol, but red Kool-Aid. I have no idea how he did it. He went to live with his family in…I think it was Arkansas he said they were. He sends letters back to the Fifth Cohort occasionally. Um…Hazel was the other Centurion, who took over after Reyna made praetor, who is the youngest to make the position. She's a sweet girl, and I was glad to work with her, even if it didn't last very long before I was, you know, sent over here."

Jason continued on, describing people like Frank, who was a Centurion of the Third Cohort, and Leila, daughter of Ceres who was exempt from service to lead an agriculture team to make the camp even more abundant, allowing for a larger population, which they'd had slight problems with beforehand. He described the Cohorts and their dynamics, how the Fifth had a dark period of shame which he and his fellow Centurion before Hazel brought it new honor, which was only exacerbated with the Titan War, where it was the Fifth that led the charge against the Titan Krios on Mount Orthys. He told how they defeated Krios and were told to release Prometheus from under the sky, forcing Krios to take the punishment. He was told the gods had slain Atlas when dueling Kronos on Olympus, and how they held out just long enough for the Romans to topple the Titan Lord's throne and destroy him.

"Though, I guess that wasn't really what happened; we attacked their throne, but it was you Greeks who held the fort at Olympus…" he trailed off. "You'd think it would sour the victory, but…I get the feeling that the Titans would've risen again if their throne hadn't been destroyed."

He looked to Piper, who hadn't interrupted a single time. In fact, she got a little excitement in her eye, as if waiting for the best part. Jason could guess what she was waiting for.

"My two closest friends were Tempus and Reyna. Tempus was about three and half years older than us, but we still hung out a lot. I got to camp really early, when I was four. Tempus got there at the same time; she was seven. We made the journey to camp together, and we grew up together in the Fifth, back when it was ridiculed. She showed them later on; she's the only camper in history to skip straight from being a legionnaire to being praetor. She went from senator and legionnaire and then onto praetor, which is unheard of…I used to get really mad, kind of bullheaded when they made fun of us. I was a…troubled kid. Tempus kept me in line, and I'm glad that she did. She kept me on the right track, I think. She said I was good at everything, that I could put my mind to whatever I wanted. The Legion wanted me to be a good soldier. For a while, all I did was train with my spear. Tempus…she looked sad when she saw me practicing. I didn't get why until a lot later. She, uh…she carried around a notebook everywhere. She didn't let anyone read it, and even now that she's gone, we can't find any of the ones she'd filled out. I got to see it once, when I wasn't supposed to. But I didn't read anything. When I opened it, a folded-up picture fell out. It was a portrait of her…that _I'd_ drawn, and on the back, she'd written down what I told her when I was made a Legionnaire _._ She'd kept it with her, always…she…she was more pleased in my skill with words and a brush, than with my blade and spear…I didn't train much more after that. Not until Reyna came along anyway."

Jason took a few seconds to collect his thoughts, and then continued.

"Reyna came along only a few years ago. I think…when I was thirteen is when I found her. During the yearly quest we undergo at camp, I found her and her sister battling unruly pirates. I helped them escape, figured out they were demigods, and took them back to camp instead of finishing the quest, where she was forced to go to the Wolf House after she recovered and go through the usual Roman initiation and all that. I got a _lot_ of ridicule for that little stunt, given how un-Roman it was of me."

'What's she like?' Piper asked.

"She's…" he thought about it. "She's basically a modern Roman pirate, is how I'd describe her. She's headstrong and she's a natural leader too. She would be very intelligent, but she chooses to focus on other things than education. She's the type of person who, if presented a decision, she'll find a way to try every option. She's also an anomaly. Thanks to Tempus' proposals in the Senate, Reyna was able to work her way up to Praetor by the time she was sixteen, with only just barely have been at camp for four years, I think by just a few weeks. She…" Jason stopped, recalling some of the more unsavory aspects of her. "She's brash, quick to anger sometimes. She's distrusting of newcomers and she's really bad at following orders. That frustrated Octavian a lot; that kid needs his rules or else he falls apart…" he trailed off. "…She had a bad time when the Titans attacked. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt, which was a major reason why we were able to counterattack so quickly. But…"

Piper scrunched her eyebrows. 'But what? What happened?'

"I'm sorry, but that's not my story to tell. I don't think she'd appreciate anyone else knowing. She only told me, and…"

'It's alright then. It's fine. So, what do you like about her?'

Jason didn't have to think about it for very long. "Her confidence, her passion. She's everything a Roman should aspire to be, in my opinion. She's harsh, but fair. She's rash, but calculating. She's arrogant, but she's earned it," he said, before chuckling. "If I said all of that to her face, she'd demand I say it four more times so I don't forget it. The only thing I think she struggles with is words. I remember I had to write her speech when she was promoted to praetor because she couldn't get it down. Most of us learn Roman proverbs and stories, mostly of myth. She didn't learn anything but a single one. Per angusta ad augusta; through difficulties to honors. She worked herself half to death following those words, and for it, she became Camp Jupiter's chosen leader."

He got his sad eyes again for a second. Piper changed the subject. 'What did you say was on the back of that portrait?' she asked.

"Hm? Oh, Tempus'? Um…it was…Veritas lux mea; the truth is my light. It's her favorite proverb, ideal since she was the daughter of Minerva, goddess of wisdom; think Athena without war. It was a thing between us; we'd say it to each other as a pick-me-up, or to get their attention, or…basically anything else, really. Whenever there was a feeling that we wanted to convey to each other, and we either were with company or didn't know how to express it, we'd say it to each other…"

'Sounds romantic.'

Jason chuckled. "Reyna thought I was into her too. No…she was more like an older sister, if anything," he said before he took a deep breath.

'Okay, not romantic, but still really sweet.'

"If you say so. It was just thing between friends…" Jason got an idea. "Hey, on the subject of finding ways to communicate between us, there's one."

'What do you mean?'

"We could have a saying or maybe like a meaningless word to say around each other that only we would know. To say whenever, you know?"

'Like a safe word?'

"Um…yes and no?"

'Sure, but I'm not so sure about a phrase. If we're going with 'meaningless' than a phrase wouldn't work, right?'

"True. Okay, um…"

The two sat there for a while, brainstorming random words and putting pins on them to change them and make them not regular words. It was an arduous process that most would find both boring and wasteful, but they were enjoying it enough. Finally, they settled on one.

"Velaira," Jason said it. "I like it."

'Me too,' Piper agreed. "Velaira," she said, and Jason didn't do anything. This ruled out that it might've been an order of some kind in a language that they didn't know, meaning it was safe for her to just say. 'So, when are we going to say it?'

"Who cares? As a hello, a goodbye, as a battle cry, as a…I don't know, identity checker? Whatever comes up."

'Okay then,' Piper agreed. 'Well, you fulfilled my request. Do you want your first lesson in sign language?'

"Whenever you're ready, Piper."

 **Author's Note:**

 **No time to read, need to eat food.**

 **See you tomorrow!**


	20. Always A Better Way

Another day, another four hours of training. Piper's body had slowly become accustomed to the strain that Percy's regiment put on her. In fact, she was beginning to feel its effects. Perhaps more so than Leo, Piper was growing stronger physically, easily able to pull her weight in whatever activity the camp happened to be doing on any given day, whether it be lava wall climbing, chariot races, or good old Capture-The-Flag. In fact, Piper was having difficulty finding a challenge in the latter game. Most of the time, she was on the side of Ares and Athena, which basically meant she had no challenge from the opposition. On the flip side, it _was_ satisfying to kick Leo's butt every time.

Leo, in much the same way, was thriving in his environment. There was steady progress on the Argo II, his Airship, with Leo himself leading the charge on its construction. With Jason and his "getting ripped" exercises, Leo struggled immensely. He felt weak a lot of the time, both mentally and physically. It definitely didn't feel like he was making progress in physicality, but then he lifted a big hunk of Celestial Bronze that he wouldn't have been able to pick up a month and a half prior. So, he figured, he must be doing something right.

That said, not everything was sunshine and rainbows at Camp Half-Blood. Namely, the feud between the Hephaestus cabin and the Aphrodite cabin was still going strong, and actually seemed to get worse the more some of the older campers pushed to have it resolved.

Eventually, Leo had had enough.

Four months passed since Jason's quest ended. April had come, and the weather outside camp hadn't even begun to warm up. Thankfully, inside the camp was still nice and toasty warm. Leo had a surprised for Piper and Jason, and he expressed as much to his cabinmates.

"Why are you still talking to that drama queen?" Jake questioned. "You're supposed to be on our side."

"I am on your side," Leo claimed. "But Piper's my friend."

"Their kind don't have friends, they have assets," he returned.

"In more ways than one," Nyssa grumbled, causing the others the laugh. "You know, I bet not a single one of them could even take apart a car."

"So?"

"Leo, your 'friend' was just a leech on you, Jason, and Grover on your quest," Jake accused. "Everyone knows it."

"Hey, she's a lot tougher than she looks, thank you," Leo tried to defend her. "She...she's you know, been working with-"

"Percy, we know. He's just as bad. I had a dream about dad once; he said the gods faked giving him the credit."

Murmurs of agreement rose from the rest of them. "Okay, now that's a definite lie," Leo said. "He's...he's a hero, right?"

"Yeah, to those idiots over in Aphrodite maybe. But then, they probably think their mom is a relevant god too."

"She is!" Leo said, growing more frustrated by the minute. "Fine, whatever. I'm going to talk to her; I'm not asking for permission."

"That's a bad idea," Nyssa chided. "They're gonna drive you away, just like Silena drove Beckendorf to-"

"Would you guys stop assuming the worst? Why don't you ever look for the best in people?"

"The best? We _are_ looking at the best in them; there's nothing better in there."

Leo was about to argue further, but he refused to humor those kinds of ideas. Those weren't the kinds of the things that he wanted swimming around in his head.

Instead, he left with his integrity intact, and marched over to the Aphrodite cabin. He toyed with the idea of barging right in and demanding that Piper come with him, and try and be a badass about it. Then he remembered that he still had bedhead and his shirt was dirty oil smudges all over it from working the previous night.

In the end, he just walked up and knocked on the door. Inside, he was sure the campers were confused; hardly anyone met another camper while they were in their cabin, and when they did, hardly anyone ever knocked, because it was usually planned to meet there, meaning whoever was inside would be expecting the visitor.

The door slowly opened, revealing...Leo didn't know the guy's name. "Who is it, Mitchell?" their counselor questioned. Leo saw through the door that she was sitting in front of a mirror.

"It's um…" Mitchell opened the door further, revealing Leo to everybody. Some of them scrunched up their noses. Most didn't seem to care. The only person that seemed visibly angry, or at least irritated, was Drew, their counselor. "Oh, it's you, the mechanic."

"The name is Leo Valdez," the boy pointed at himself, trying to be confident. The look she was giving him, though. She bore through him, tearing down his brave front.

She chuckled condescendingly, if that was possible. "And look who doesn't care!"

Leo fought the urge to hurl a pocket wrench at her. "I came to see Piper."

"And you thought she'd want to see you?" Drew's eyes widened in mock disbelief. "Hon, after last time when she didn't even want you to stay to help her, what makes you think she'd even want to?"

Leo looked to the girl in question, who had turned away. She was still sweaty from her morning exercises. He could use that; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Use it against them. "So, are you gonna tell me why you don't like me?"

"What's there _to_ like, mechanic boy? You're gross, grimy, you smell terrible, you look like you just crawled out of bed most of the time. I think that's enough."

"Well, Piper is like that too right now," he pointed out. "Her hair's messed up, and she's gross right now too."

The girl lightly smirked as if saying "oh thanks, Leo. Makes me feel a lot better."

Drew, for a few seconds, was speechless. "W-well, I...you…"

Leo to ok his chance, waltzing over to Piper. "So, why don't I take this gross girl off your hands for a while and let her get cleaned up and drenched in oil like me?"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her out without waiting for an answer. She was heavier than she looked, and Leo didn't mean that in an insulting way. "Have you put on muscle?" he wondered as they made their way across camp.

'Is that a trick question?' she wrote as she walked, making the text a little shaky. 'Because it looks like you did too.'

"Me? No way," he said, even as he playfully flexed next to her arm, and she did the same. They were about equal, though Leo suspected she was stronger since she was taller and had longer arms. "But man, can you believe those guys? Total losers; I don't know _how_ you live with them."

'They're not that hard to get along with. The look on Drew's face _was_ pretty satisfying, though. I actually didn't think you had it in you. That took guts, putting yourself out there like that.'

"Yeah, maybe…" Leo wasn't convinced; it was nothing compared to what Jason had to do on the quest, or what they both had to do when they sang those months back.

'So where are you taking me now that you've kidnapped me?'

"Over to bunker nine. Grover should meet us there, but we've got to pick up Superman on the way. He's probably by that big tree, right?"

'That's where I meet him for his sign lessons.'

"How's he coming along?"

'He's almost as good as me. Seriously, it's not fair that he can pick everything up so easily.'

"I know!" Leo agreed as they approached him, mediating. He grinned. "Jason is just _so_ annoying to be around! Everything has to be about him!" he called loudly, making sure he heard. He opened one of his eyes, either intrigued or annoyed. "But hey, he can fly us anywhere we want, so I guess we can keep him around for that."

"Oh, is that all?" the son of Jupiter settled on the grass from his hovering, and then stood. "What's up? It's rare to see you two hanging out."

"Got a surprise, and you're coming to see it," Leo announced as he began walking, leading the two in the woods. "Watch my butt, would ya?"

Jason nodded. "So, I'm curious as to what it took to get you cabins agree to this."

Piper used sign language. 'They didn't.'

'So you snuck out?' he returned.

'No, he came and took me in front of everybody.'

"Hey, guys, let's assume I skipped the reading."

"She's just explaining what happened," Jason assured.

'Don't worry, we only insult you behind your back during dinner,' Piper wrote in Greek, which Leo _was_ able to read.

"Oh okay, so long as I know, dicks," Leo pouted. "And anyway, it's not that big of a deal. They just need to get over themselves."

'You mean your cabin," Piper wrote.

"I mean both of them," Leo corrected.

"I don't know; I don't think we have the time to let them work it out themselves. I've tried to help, but I think everybody views me as an outsider now that they know I'm Roman."

"Well...you _are_ an outsider," Leo pointed out.

"Thanks; I didn't notice."

"You're welcome."

Jason stared at him blankly. "...Sometimes I can't tell if you're joking and that's scary."

"Good; just how I like it," Leo grinned. "But I get what you mean. It's super annoying for sure."

"It's not just annoying, it's dangerous. It's the last thing I want to happen, but there's a very real possibility of our camps fighting their differences out. I don't care what Percy says about you guys, us Romans would steamroll you if you aren't fighting together."

"'Us Romans,' huh? So you'd be siding with them?"

"Well, yeah," Jason admitted. "But that's not the point; I don't want it to be 'us versus them'. We're supposed to unite; I _know_ we're supposed to work together."

"Look, man, let's just...enjoy my surprise? Can we manage that?"

"Right...sorry, we can talk about it later," Jason agreed as they approached the bunker, where Grover was waiting.

He'd been away most of the time, off helping other demigods. He'd kept in touch, frequently, almost nightly, calling Leo to ask how things were going. The two embraced when they met. "Yo, Lee! Missed you, man."

"You too, Grove," Leo returned.

"Jason, Piper, you too!" he hugged them as well. "It's been too long!"

"Really? It feels like we were just on our quest yesterday," Jason claimed.

"Yeah well, you guys have had it easy since then. The Council of Cloven Elders has been having me work my butt off since we got back."

"Well, at least you have a while off to come hang out, right?" Leo offered, to which Grover nodded.

"So, what have you got for us today, Lee?"

"Well, a surprise, obviously," he said, leading them in and flipping a few switches. The Hephaestus cabin had overhauled the entire bunker, expanding it five-fold in terms of surface area to be able to build the airship. They've also taken the liberty of procuring the various designs that the Civil War-era demigods had thought up, many of which were near foreign to the modern children of Hephaestus.

"It's coming along great!" Jason complimented. "It looks almost done, even."

"Yeah, sorry chief, but we've only got the outside and the main engine finished, but…" he took them around the to front. "We've got some good eyes to keep us afloat out there."

The familiar whirs and creaks of a giant bronze dragon's head filled the bunker. "Is that Festus?"

"Yep!" Leo said as Piper approached the head, which creaked and turned to meet her. "His head is fully operational! He even remembers us!"

As if on cue, the head nuzzled into the outstretched hand of the daughter of Aphrodite. Similarly, Jason was treated with the same level of affection when he drew close. "It's good to see you too," he said to it. "Leo, this is amazing."

"Oh, it gets better," he boasted. "It was digging through Festus' brain, and I found this chip. Inside the bunker, there's a device which can read it; apparently Festus has been, like, all over the world, either to be built or as a pet or as a worker, so he can be our navigator! I'm working on installing a reader at the helm, so I can read exactly where we're going," he exclaimed. The others stared at him blankly. "Guys! Come on, this is huge! Festus' brain is so much more advanced than anything I've ever seen!"

"Um...that's great, I guess?" Jason said. "So, are we on schedule?"

"Right on," Leo grinned, proud that he was able to keep up. "And I'm _still_ getting two hours of sleep every night."

"Hey, that's an accomplishment," Grover claimed.

"It is?"

'Well, he's been working like a dog since we got back,' Piper said in sign language. Jason nodded.

"Hey, listen, if you want to tone down the exercises, then-"

"Are you kidding?" Leo interrupted, a wide grin on his face. "I've never felt so great about life, you know? I get to do something cool every day! I get to hang out with my best friends! I can call them if they're not around. Bro, _nothing_ can get me down for long!"

'Except the cabin feud,' Piper wrote. Leo looked at it, perplexed.

"Cabin feud," Jason translated.

"Oh that? Let's, uh...let's not talk about it," Leo suggested.

"Jeez, that's _still_ happening?" Grover questioned. "I mean...I assumed they'd get over it, you know?"

"That was the hope," Jason agreed. "Of course, if a few people from each side were a bit more proactive, I'm sure it would've already been sorted out."

Leo leaned into Piper's ear. "I think he's talking about me," he whispered, to which she shook her head and tapped some Morse Code onto his hand. Short, long, long, short, pause. Short, pause. Short, long, short, pause. Long, short, long, short, pause. Long, short, long, long, stop.

Percy.

Leo nodded, indicating that he understood. "Can you talk to him? I got our cabins mad enough by forcing you here; I think they'd have a fit if they saw me trying to talk to him." he wondered quietly. She nodded, and eventually, everyone went back to what they were doing.

xxxXXXxxx

Piper didn't ask right away, though. First, she showered; that was the main priority. Then, she didn't get a chance to talk to him until the next morning's training session. Technically she could've asked during dinner, but Percy had opted to eat with his roguish friends, meaning she would've had to show up and be all awkward again, so she stayed with her cabin.

Finally, during one of her breaks, she got her chance.

'Leo requested that I ask you something,' she wrote in Greek. 'He wants you to try and fix this stupid cabin feud.'

"Tried it, didn't work," Percy claimed, taking a mouthful of water. "Next question."

'That's it.'

"Well, then I guess that conversation is over," he said, standing.

'No, it's not. What did you try? Maybe it was just the wrong idea. I can help you come up with a better one.'

"I'm not willing to do more than try and talk it out, but they won't even humor me in that. If I beat the crap out of them, that won't prove anything. At best, I might could get on Aphrodite's bad side, and then they might tolerate each other slightly more because they can share that they hate me."

Piper rested her chin in her hand, the wheels turning in her head. 'Let's roll with that.'

"What? Piper, I'm not going to…" he trailed off upon looking at her. She was completely lost in thought. He never thought he'd see a child of the love goddess like this, but it was similar to the trance that Annabeth got in whenever she was trying to solve a really difficult problem. Percy's features softened. " _She's trying…"_ he thought. " _She must really want this."_

'Let's take your idea to the extreme,' she suggested. 'You said you could get on my cabin's bad side and they would tolerate each other. What if you got on their bad side so severely that they were forced to work together?'

"Like...how?"

'Okay...I've got a plan...and I don't think either my friends are gonna like it. Ready to play villain?'

xxxXXXxxx

"Phew…" Leo wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood. The burn in his back felt fantastic; he'd been crouched down, trying to connect all of the necessary wires to get the main controls working near the helm. You know, to activate the really important things, like the snack dispenser…and the…toilet paper dispenser; Leo didn't know how often accidents were going to happen. Best be prepared for anything. He shuffled over to Festus' head. "Good progress so far today, buddy. I bet I could fly it now, but I think I'll use the rest of the day to stabilize it. I don't want to start the interior without the rest of them, you know?" he pat the dragon's neck. Festus whirred and creaked in response, and Leo chuckled. "You and me both."

Suddenly, though, Leo heard a loud scream. He stood immediately and waited for something else. It didn't come. "That…that sounded like…" he didn't finish, rushing outside. " _Where did it come from?_ " he thought, quickly pinpointing the direction it was. He dashed into a small clearing, and saw something that didn't make sense to him. "What are you doing to Piper?!" he questioned.

Percy tugged on the rope one last time and then tied it around a tree trunk. Piper was suspended by her wrists on a thick tree branch. There was a gag in her mouth to prevent her from stopping him, and a look of horror plastered on her face that pleaded for Leo to help her. Cuts lined her body, as well as bruises from impacts.

"Let her go!" he demanded.

"Or what?" Percy questioned. "Who's gonna make me?" he turned to the younger boy with a glare so intense that it sent multiple shivers up his spine.

"W-well…I w-will!" the son of Hephaestus claimed. Percy laughed, his voice dry and hollow.

"Sure you will. A wannabe hero like you doesn't stand a chance against the real deal," he claimed, drawing his sword. "But if you want to try, go ahead. I'm looking for a good way to blow off some steam. Your pretty friend didn't pose much of a good punching bag."

The comment only served to rile Leo up. "You hurt her!" he exclaimed. "You hurt my friend!"

Percy readied his stance as Leo charged, briefly forgetting his fear. He lit his hand ablaze and shot a charged fireball Percy's way, but he easily slashed through it, dissipating it.

Leo reared back a fist powered with fire, but Percy side-stepped Leo's attempt and kneed the boy in the gut, severely winding him, before kicking him away. The boy stood as fast as he could and attacked again, with much the same result. Percy moved so fast and fluidly that Leo couldn't even tell where the attacks were coming from until they already hit him.

"Come on, kid!" Percy shot a ball of water in retaliation, which Leo barely managed to avoid. "You're _boring_ me!"

Leo looked up, where the voice was coming from. On instinct, his raised his arms in defense, and was met with a devastating downward kick from the son of Poseidon. "Woo- ugack…" Leo briefly celebrated his block before Percy brought his other foot around into his head. Leo's brain rang in his head, sending his vision spiraling.

Still, he stood and broke into a run. He didn't want to stay in one spot for too long. Percy shot wave after wave of water at him, even though there wasn't any water around, making approach difficult. Leo eventually found his chance, leaping over one of Percy's waves and flipping down into a downward kick. Percy blocked it, letting the momentum follow through, unlike how Leo blocked the same move.

When Leo tried to bring his other foot around, Percy wasn't there. Instead, he'd lowered himself into a sweep, knocking Leo off of his feet when he landed. Percy kicked him away again. Leo stood, but groaned as he did; his side hurt, as in it ached even through the adrenaline. " _Broken ribs? Hopefully just cracked…"_ he thought as panic started to set in. He stole a glance at Piper, who's expression had softened, becoming more examining and calm. " _She's taking this awfully well."_

"You thought you could beat me with my own moves?" Percy questioned, smirking. "It's a cute strategy, but not very effective; how do you think I beat your friend so easily?" he gestured to Piper, who growled into her gag in irritation. "You'll never beat me. So why don't you just stand there and-" Leo turned and ran. Percy was a bit shocked that the kid so heartlessly left Piper. He stood straighter. "Um…I was expecting to have to push him a bit more…" he said aloud. "Should I follow him?" Piper sighed internally and nodded. "And you'll be good right?" she nodded and again. "Alright, just hang around here until I get back, okay?"

" _Very funny_ ," she thought as he bounded off.

Leo shot into the main clearing, his clothing protruding smoke from his heightened emotional state. He ran to the strongest demigod he knew. "Jason!" he cried. The man opened an eye from his mediation by the Sound. "Jason! I need help!"

"Hey, whoa, calm down. What's up? Is something wrong?"

"It's Percy! He's gone crazy!" Leo exclaimed. Jason rasied an eyebrow.

"…Still can't tell if you're messing with me or not."

Percy burst into the clearing, his blade at the ready. He raised it high and swung it about. "Get back here, you little bastard!" he roared. "I'm not through with you yet!"

"Jason, help!"

"Well, you obvious made him angry," the son of Jupiter said. "But I'm not sure-"

Percy zeroed in on Leo. "I'll flood this whole damned camp by the end of today, starting with you!" he started swinging wildly, forcing everybody he crossed to avoid him.

"Does _that_ answer better?" Leo questioned. "He kidnapped Piper! She's in the woods!" he exclaimed, garnering the attention of the surrounding campers.

"What happened to Piper?" Drew questioned, having been nearby. "What did you do to her, you little-"

"It was him!" Leo pointed to the crazy demigod making his way towards them. "He's insane!"

"But he's-" Drew was cut off. Leo and Jason saw the attack coming. Jason grabbed Drew and threw both of them out of the way, while Leo was forced to dodge in the opposite direction, isolating himself. Percy went after him. "Okay, he's a bit crazy!"

"He's got to be stopped," Jason announced, flipping Ivlivs, which he'd renamed the Regalius, in honor of his late sister, and drawing the sword.

Leo had produced a pair of hammers from his belt as weapons; it wasn't much but it was something. Unfortunately, they were quickly turned into just wooden sticks once Percy got his sword to them. Leo tried to counterattack with his fire, but he couldn't get a clear shot. Percy forced him to the ground, and raised his blade to strike directly, when a hard object smacked the back of his head.

He whirled around, seeing a rogue hair brush heading his way. He deflected it before being forced to deal with Jason's assault. A series of deft strikes came Percy's way, forcing the demigod back, but only slightly.

In wasn't long before he regained his footing and held his ground, stopping Jason's attack with a quick parry into a knee away. "You've gotten better," Percy noted, smirking. "But you're still not good enough!" he claimed, charging forward. Their weapons clashed, with Percy having far greater physical strength than Jason could muster. Another second and he would've broken, but Percy was forced off of him. A lone purse of make-up crashed into the son of Poseidon, having been thrown at full force by another child of Aphrodite. Soon, many more of them started throwing things at him. Leo even threw some fireballs to add to the mix. "Hey! I thought you guys liked me!"

"Not when you hurt one of our own!" Drew claimed, sending a wave of cheers through the rest of the cabin. Jason took chance to step back and join the barrage of projectile, using his wind to increase the velocity of the others' thrown objects, while trying to send wha the could on his own.

For a moment, it seemed to be working. That's until Percy summoned a sphere of water around him, making it pulse out. With each pulse, shards of hardened water shot out, with some nicking the campers.

"I'm getting weapons," Jason announced, seeing the Aphrodite kids running out of throw-able beauty products.

"We'll hold him off," Leo agreed. Jason put a quick hand on his shoulder before bounding away. He ran into his cabinmates on the way.

"Hey!" he got their attention; they'd been watching the fight from afar. "What are you all doing? We could use your help down there!"

"And miss out on the show? Not likely," Jake said. "Whatever he's gonna do, those drama queens have it coming."

"Don't you see that your cabin counselor is down there fighting too?" Jason questioned. "Why don't you go help him! They're all in danger! Percy kidnapped Piper!"

"So he's fighting for that bimbo?" Nyssa said. "Then it's his own fault."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. You're all pathetic," Jason spat. "At least the Aphrodite cabin has the guts to face when they were betrayed instead of passive-aggressively plaguing all of camp about it for the rest of time.

"What do you know? You're just a Roman!"

"I'm their friend, and I'm going to do _everything_ I can to make sure nothing bad happens to them!" he snapped. "And if you were _worthy_ to be held among the same standings as the heroes of old, you'd go down there too and fight for your friends! I don't care what happened; their _lives_ aren't worth it!"

With that, Jason stormed off to the armory. When he arrived, he saw some people from the Apollo, Athena, and Demeter cabins already gathering weapons. They didn't have time for proper armor, so weapons would have to do. Jason picked up a large pile with his wind, straining a bit with the weight, but since his memories returned (and thus is memories of his powers and training) pushing his abilities has been much easier.

"Come on!" he urged, seeing some people slacking. "Death won't wait for you!"

"Wait," he heard from the door. It was Nyssa, and the rest of the Hephaestus cabin. "Let us help."

Jason smiled. "About time. Grab anything you can. We need to move!"

Leo had gone in close; big mistake. The Aphrodite campers had run out of beauty products, so Leo had to try and keep Percy away from them. Leo wasn't even thinking about his own life, which was probably the wrong move. In fact, when Leo was pushed the ground and about to bite the dust, the others joined in even further, tackling Percy to the ground. The son of Poseidon struggled to get free, but when he did, he did it violently. Slashing in wide arcs to make distance, Percy cut up some of his attacker's limbs which had been holding him. Leo got off without injury, but that wouldn't last without help.

Luckily, this was when help arrived. "We're coming, boss!" he heard from behind him.

"Nyssa!" he exclaimed, but when he looked, he saw that it was just her. His whole cabin was charging down, along with another twenty campers, including Jason. They carried a whole assortment of Greek armaments. When Jason arrived, he handed Leo a sword, but Leo dropped it and picked up a big axe instead. At least when he swung this, it would feel more familiar in comparison to using hammers, like he was used to while building the Argo II.

Percy was surrounded by about forty campers, all ready to beat on him. "Well, look at this…doves and forges and traitors, working together. I never thought I'd see the day," he commented, readying his sword.

"Give up; you can't beat all of us," Leo claimed.

"You don't know _half_ of what I can do, imp," he growled, making him flinch. Jason put a hand on his shoulder, helping him regain himself.

"We need to help Piper," he muttered to the son of Jupiter. "Go. We can handle this."

Jason hesitated, but obliged, dashing away from the battle as it commenced. He went toward Bunker Nine; it was the place he was most likely to find her near, since Leo was likely there when he found her.

He found her hanging casually, if that was possible. She didn't try and undo her bonds from where she was, and she wasn't calling for help. In fact, she didn't look worried at all. That changed when she noticed Jason.

She tensed when he approached and wrestled with the ropes binding her wrists. She kept shaking her head as he found the rope suspending her and lowering her to the ground. "Piper, are you alright?" he questioned, kneeling down in front of her. He reached up to remove her gag. "We're working to make Percy submit, but Leo was worried, he-"

She interrupted as soon as she could. "Put the gag back in my mouth and go back to fight. Forget I told you this, but still do it," she ordered. Jason obeyed immediately and ran off.

" _Odd…I should help her,"_ he thought as he ran back to the fight. " _But Percy is a far larger threat. He needs to be stopped._ I _need to stop him."_

He came back in as Percy was finishing up the ground that had started fighting him. The majority of people were on the ground, unconscious. Some of the Hephaestus cabin was still up, scrambling to form a phalanx along with the remnants of the Ares and Athena cabins, but they didn't even number ten.

Leo was on his own, completely outmatched by the Hero of One. Leo stood from a particularly brutal attack, which Jason was surprised by, and readied his best stance. Percy looked more annoyed than worried.

"You should really learn when to retreat, imp!" he roared as he drew from the Sound behind him. Leo noticed the immense power leaking from his body, and lit himself ablaze as a sort of defense mechanism. "I'll put your flames out any day!"

Percy flexed his arms as two massive tendrils shot out of the Sound, twisting and spiraling behind him, shooting forward, straight toward Leo.

Jason moved as fast as he could. Leo had gotten much stronger, but that attack would kill him. As he flew, Jason willed the wind to follow him, building it up to use. When he landed in front of the son of Hephaestus, Jason swept his arms in front of him, forcing the wind to split the attack right as it came them.

It shot past on either side, moving so fast that Jason doubted that he could've taken it with his weapon. Instead of hitting those behind him, however, the water actually arced up, slashing the tops of the trees. " _Did he miss on purpose?"_ Jason wondered numbly as he burst forward. He flipped the Regalius and drew the spear, her sister's spear.

Leo was dumbfounded, unable to fully comprehend that Jason had taken over the fight. Only when his feet started moving away from the battle did he realize was he was going to do. He ran back to Bunker Nine.

Percy didn't seem surprised at Jason's reappearance, and instead smirked at the new opponent. "Let's see if this goes any different than last time!" he challenged.

"I'm not the same rookie you last fought!" Jason returned, aiming a deft blow at Percy's head. The man parried and brought his blade up along the shaft of the spear, forcing it out of Jason's hands. Jason carried it on the wind, willing it through Percy's head (though he rolled out of its way) and back into his grasp.

The two exchanged a quick flurry of blows, each step forward also eventually resulting in a step back in advantage. Jason took several, in fact, to make distance. He had the reach advantage, and with his training remembered, he knew how to take advantage of it, cough, cough.

He let the wind guide him, sliding between Percy's different attacks, even as the son of Poseidon did the same. Each time their weapons clashed was a brief interruption of that guide, forcing Jason to take another avenue.

Jason managed to force Percy back, taking a series of quick stabs toward his torso, which only hit air; the kid was unbelievably flexible. Percy tried to regain control, taking a wide sweep of his blade to trip Jason up. Jason leapt over it, flipping in the air, and slamming his spear down. Percy raised his blade to block it, the impact sending shockwaves through the air. He pushed Jason back up and spun, kicking upwards. Jason met the kick with his spear. It packed more power than Jason was expecting, sending him back several meters.

He sensed movement in the air behind him, where Percy was, and he preemptively retaliated. He tore a hand across the sky, forcing the air past it to follow, shredding anything that came in its way, which, in this case, were Percy's shots of water he sent Jason's way. When Jason landed, Percy was in the air. He shot down using his water, aiming to overpower Jason entirely.

Jason found himself amused. " _Idiot Greek; that's my turf you're on,"_ he thought, despite himself. As Percy drew close, Jason willed the wind to catch him, despite the force he was being sent down with. In fact, Jason used it against him, turning his downward momentum into forward momentum, sending the son of Poseidon straight over Jason's head.

Percy landed hard in the Sound. Jason waited, wishing to be somewhat honorable about this. Percy stood, looking a bit disheveled and shocked that Jason was holding his own so well. "You can't beat me," Jason claimed. Percy smirked, flexing his free hand for a minute. Jason felt a bit of power build up there, but it quickly faded. " _Is he being indecisive? Or is he hiding some power from me?"_ he thought.

"You're out of your league, kid," Percy warned.

"I beg to differ. I have better reach and equal skill. I'm not going to let you hit me," he said resoundingly, putting his spear in the ground beside him, holding it close to the bladed end. "I'll say it again. You can't beat me."

The smirk faded, and for a second, Jason thought he might be considering surrender. Percy looked down, his hair shrouding his eyes from his opponent. He let out a breath; it was raspy, strained, powerful. "I am the force that splits the sea…" he said quietly.

"What was that?" Jason questioned. Percy looked back up. The water around him churned, seemingly to pulse with his heartbeat, feeding off of his power. No…it was adding to it.

"You're not ready to see my full strength. But I can give you a taste. Don't ever forget this, _Roman_ ," he said it with such fury. Jason was almost considering backing down; the feeling he was getting from his opponent was that intense.

Percy stood there on the water's surface for a brief moment, until the water exploded up around him. He shot through the sudden burst, far faster than before. Jason barely had time to ready his spear before Percy was on him, slashing and kicking with an incredible force. He was not only faster than before, but stronger as well, by equal measure.

He wasted no time closing the distance that Jason's spear provided, getting close and attempting to run Jason through. The man managed to build up a defense, pushing Percy back, but he was assaulted again soon after. Even when using the wind as a sort of second weapon, Jason could barely keep up with Percy's flurry.

Then he seemingly retreated. Percy shot away, and broke into a sprint around Jason. Confused, Jason readied himself, only to have Percy break through his initial defense. The two traded blows for another brief moment. Percy attempted to slash through Jason's torso, but he back-stepped out of the way, twirling his spear into a side sweep. Percy blocked it, but it had such force and the wind adding to its power than it cut through the space behind him, sending an intense wind towards those watching the duel, blasting them into tree trunks or whatever else happened to be behind them.

Percy cut his blade up Jason's spear, slipping off after it'd been moved and going for Jason's face. The attack barely cut into Jason's cheek, but it stung worse than any other wound he'd endured in his time at camp, if for no other reason than it came from _him_.

Jason slashed wildly, bashing Percy away briefly. That didn't mean Jason got respite. He sensed something sailing through the air behind him. He whirled around and deflected several bullets of water, before having to return to fighting Percy.

The man got up close again, bringing his blade up past Jason's defense. Jason spun around it and stabbed Percy, who dodged the blow handily, before taking advantage of Jason's exposed head and trying to slash down through it. Jason managed to bring his spear up to block it, parrying and slashing Percy away. He tried to run Percy through again.

Instead of dodging it again, Percy took it head on. He deflected the blow above his head and then moved it down near his feet, where he stomped on the flat of the bladed end. He shot a quick slash toward the son of Jupiter, who ducked under it before bringing his foot around into a kick, which got Percy off of his weapon. Percy blocked the kick with his arm, with Jason feeling as if he'd just kicked a wall, and tried running Jason through. Jason parried the blow and then swept his spear at Percy's feet. Percy leapt straight up into the air, avoiding the blow. Jason looked up. " _Will he land and attack?"_ he thought. " _No, he's ready now!"_ Jason brought his spear up to block whatever Percy had prepared.

The son of Poseidon gripped his blade in both of his hands, and with a roar, slammed his blade down and forward. The impact was more than Jason could take.

The boy's knees buckled immediately, and with the forward momentum of the swing, Jason was sent shooting across the ground, about fifty meters. Only after Jason was sent flying did the crater from the impact of their weapons form. Massive clouds of dust, dirt, and rocks shot up into the air from Jason's body carving through the sunbaked earth in his path, and it ended with Jason slamming into a tree trunk, the back of his head first.

He lost consciousness almost immediately, and slumped forward. It was only after the dust settled did everyone comprehend who the victor was. Percy's power faded, and he took a deep breath, steadying himself. " _Man, you haven't pushed yourself that far in a while,"_ Riptide commented in his head.

" _He had to be reminded who was better between us,"_ Percy thought back.

" _I thought you were supposed to be working together,"_ his sword mentioned. Percy's eye twitched.

"… _I forgot."_

" _As usual."_

Percy's fight wasn't over, however, as an engine was heard, and the trees split the allow entry. "You may beat me, but you can't beat this!" Leo roared, standing on top of the Argo II, the unfinished Argo II.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Percy yelled back, diving out of the airship's way as it barreled toward him. Percy's hair was slightly singed from the dragon head spewing fire.

"Anything to stop you! A hero never loses!"

"You're a goddamn idiot!" Percy snapped. Leo tried to swivel around to use the cannons, which were operational. Percy didn't wait around, however. He shot himself into the air using his water to propel him, landing on the airship. Leo shot several fireballs at him, trying to ward him off, but Percy didn't waver when approaching the boy, even as the ship rocked back and forth violently to shake him off.

Leo was about to abandon ship, when Percy grabbed him but the collar of his shirt, pulling him so close that Leo could feel the heat of his breath. "You wanna be a hero? Fine! You _never_ put something this useful at risk! Ever!" he growled.

"W-wha-"

"If you wanna be a hero, you need to realize that your name, your reputation, your goddamn _life_ are all expendable! This ship will save hundreds, maybe thousands of lives! Even I can only save a couple of dozen at a time. This ship is worth so much more than that. It's as priceless as the people we're trying to save. Got that?" Percy shoved Leo away and to the ground before hopping off of the ship, to the confused crowd that had gathered. He built up the water of the Sound beneath the Argo II. "Turn it off," he ordered Leo. The dazed mechanic reluctantly obeyed, and once it settled in the water, Percy moved it to rest in the Sound for now.

He took a deep breath. Leo slid down the ship and met him on the shore. "Y-you…you aren't gonna try to kill me?"

"No, I'm not," Percy said.

"T-then, why did you…what about Piper?"

"She's fine," Nyssa said. She'd abandoned the battle when Jason returned with the daughter of Aphrodite. She went to get Piper herself.

"W-what…?" Leo questioned. The Aphrodite cabin surrounded Piper worriedly, especially Drew, who felt personally responsible. Percy went over to Jason, making sure his head wasn't split open. Thankfully, he only got a big bump on the back of his head and many smaller cuts. He slapped the boy a few times, waking him up. Jason shot to his feet upon seeing Percy's face, but after seeing that the fighting had stopped, he seemed to accept it, though he kept the Regalius out and at the ready, just in case.

"Wait…this blood is all fake," Drew said loudly. "You were faking?" everyone started glaring at her, and she smiled sheepishly.

"She was never in any danger," Percy claimed. "It was my idea, to finally get this stupid cabin feud treated. And it worked too, you all worked together without a hitch."

"You…you tricked us?" Jason summed up. "All of us?"

Piper shot a glare at Percy. When he saw it, he got a steely look on his own face. He shook his head. At first, she didn't get it, but then she saw everybody's reactions.

"How could you?"

"You could've talked to us."

"Just put us on the same Capture-The-Flag team or something."

"That was _so_ wrong."

Jason was the worst of all. "Lying is the most cowardly thing you could've thought of, Jackson," he spat. "And you're supposed to be their hero? What kind of hero tricks people?"

"The kind that gets results," Percy returned, glaring at the younger boy. "And listen here, Grace, I _tried_ the honest method. They didn't have any part of it. Despite what all of you say, this was the _only_ way to get you to work together. Now that you have, now that I've seen you do it when one of your own is put in danger, there's _no_ excuse. Suck it up and get over yourselves!"

Drew and the other Aphrodite kids looked awkwardly at the Hephaestus cabin and vice versa. Some small murmurs of agreement rose between them, which was encouraged by the others that were there, namely the Athena kids.

Jason was the only one who was still upset, and he wouldn't budge on it. "That's where you're wrong," he said. "Even if it's the path less trodden, there's _always_ a better way."

"Spare me your Roman honor," Percy returned.

"It's not Roman. It's right," Jason argued.

"Sounds like Caesar himself," Percy mocked. "Or maybe a bit more like the tyrant Nero?" Jason jaw stiffened, and he fought the urge to resume their fight. He just stood there, however. His head pounded from the impact he took. "Tch, that's what I thought."

Percy stormed back to his home, leaving a ravaged camp behind him. At the very least, the clean-up process gave the two formerly feuding cabins a lot of time to work things out.

And another few months later, the Argo II was finished.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So I'm just gonna say, this is my favorite chapter after already having finished the Son of Neptune. It had great character moments of Leo finally not giving a shit about the cabin feud, it had Piper being super resourceful and knowledgeable about the people aorund her, it had a fantastic action scene between Jason and Percy. And if this sounds like self-praise, then congratulations, you've figured out that I'm a total egotist, because I think this is fucking phenomenal.**

 **Anyway, some logistical stuff; this is the final day of daily uploads until I start The Son of Neptune uploading. That'll probably start next weekend, maybe the 25th. Reason? 1.) I'm a view whore. 2.) I want time for this fifth of United We Stand to ferment a bit within your minds.**

 **Another thing; the Son of Neptune adaptation goes to chapter 31, so it's significantly shorter and tighter than this one, so if that bothered you that everything moved so slowly, then fear not young pupil; introductions are over...kind of.**

 **And some stuff I forgot from last time, the songs were "Run To You" by Pentatonix, and "Liar" originally by Nekobolo, with fantastic English versions by JoyDreamer and Jefferz on YouTube. Yes, I used a Japanese song in-universe. I started out not wanting to use it, but I thought it fit too well not to. Whatever, what's done is done.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you all when I start uploading Son of Neptune!**


	21. Equal Rank Equal Authority

Annabeth needed a shower. That was literally her most prominent concern during her three day trip south. How did she know what a 'shower' was? Not a clue, which was more frustrating than anything. She'd been heading south since she left the Wolf House, but why she was heading south, or why she was at the Wolf House with no memory, was up in the air.

It was just…probably a week and a half ago that she awoke to the snarling of a giant she-wolf named Lupa. Her words were more felt than heard, but Annabeth understood them very clearly. "You are the child of a god and a mortal. You have the task of upholding the glory of Rome. I will teach you to survive, and then you must prove yourself. Succeed, and you will find a safe haven."

She then proceeded to very quickly pick up on Lupa's tactics, and was sent on her way.

It actually would've been a somewhat pleasant trip, had she not been pursued by these two gorgons, Stheno and Euryale. She found them prowling a Bargain Mart, and ever since, they followed her. Thankfully, they were both idiots. Not only did they tell her that they, unlike their sister Medusa, couldn't turn people to stone by looking at them, but they also revealed to Annabeth that they followed her via her scent, whatever that meant.

That was why she needed the shower; she'd stolen, well, borrowed, these disgustingly pungent perfumes and they kept making her gag from the smell. Unfortunately, they didn't work.

It wasn't like the gorgons were anything to worry about, though. They didn't exactly make sound choices when following her. They just wandered, blindly following her, allowing Annabeth to set up traps or just plainly hide and, when one of them appeared, just slit their throat and make them explode into dust.

But that brings up the other annoying thing; they didn't die. Or if they died, they didn't stay dead. Lupa had told her that monsters reform eventually, that even the greatest monsters eventually return, but she didn't mention that that meant within an hour. Actually, it was two. Annabeth tested that.

She'd killed them, and then waited, setting a trap for when they reform. She also tested whether or not her dagger, which she'll get to explaining, would stop them from reforming, by collecting the monster dust and impaling it into the pile. It did stop them. It seemed that it was on a timer as well. Once she finished timing them, before immediately killing the gorgon that reformed, she removed her dagger, expecting the other one to reform instantly, but no. It was like no time had passed for that one.

Now, standing over Highway 24, she felt close to something. Her blood was pumping from the long sprint she just did to reach this point, to outrun the gorgons. She succeeded, but the victory was merely temporary. She knew they'd be on her again within a few minutes. She refrained from killing them when she last encountered them, mainly because her instincts told her she was close to the finish line of this journey, but now that had to figure out a way down to the actual highway, and with the gorgons hot on her heel, Annabeth was beginning to regret that decision.

She heard rustling behind her and ducked under an intended surprise attack aimed at her head. In Annabeth's retaliation, where she drew her knife and slashed, she cut off the gorgon's leg. She quickly severed the other one to prevent the monster from following, mentally cursing herself for not thinking of that solution sooner, before quickly jumping down to the slippery slope which led to the highway. By periodically plunging her dagger into the soft earth Annabeth was able to control her fall somewhat easily, making it to a roof before dropping off to the street. She looked around for a few seconds, trying to decide which way to go. To her right, the water of San Francisco Bay called to her, seeming to pull her in. To her left was the highway, where she saw two people in attire definitely not fitting the modern era guarding what looked like a maintenance door.

Annabeth's curiosity piqued; why did the water call to her? Maybe it had something to do with her dagger, or her beanie, which she'd woken up wearing at the Wolf House. She glanced down at her weapon. Etched into the bronze blade were two words; evermore onward.

" _A motto?"_ she wondered. She shook her head. " _No; an oath. One to keep with a final breath."_

She turned left, toward the highway. If she went to the water, someone from before she lost her memory might have found her. It was a crazy thought; people can't sense other people just because they're in a puddle. Precisely because it was a stupid idea, she turned to the people with weapons that could help her. She made her way across traffic, which was actually more terrifying than the gorgons, just as they both started swooping down from above.

Apparently, while Annabeth was contemplating, they'd gone and sprouted chicken wings. "Neat,"she muttered to herself. She approached the two guards. One of them wielded a bow, the other a longsword which Annabeth would later learn was a spatha, or Roman cavalry sword. The bowman aimed his shot and got one of the gorgons as they dove.

Annabeth rolled underneath the other's grab and swung with her dagger, managing to knick her left arm. Annabeth was glad it was her left; that side's blood healed wounds. The right side poisoned people, or so they told her, stupidly. Anyway, it wasn't long before the bowman shot the other one out of the sky, with it falling over the edge.

She reached the two guards, who looked rightfully weary. "Phew, thanks for the save," Annabeth said. "Is it just you two?"

They exchanged a glance, but didn't answer. Annabeth pointed behind her.

"Those two will reform within two hours. Is there someplace we can go?"

The girl, who Annabeth noticed was about two feet shorter than the guy, looked to her partner. "Do we trust her?"

Through his helmet, Annabeth saw the man's dark eyes examining her. She put a hand on her hip, impatient. "…It's either that, or leave her to die. And that's not what we do," he hefted the maintenance door open, and gestured inside.

The girl went first, followed by Annabeth, and then the guy. The walk was long and dark, but Annabeth was pretty used to those two things. "So…" she began. "Got names?"

"Hazel," the girl said.

"Frank," was the guy's response.

" _Curt. Because I'm an outsider? Or are our people naturally weary all of the time? It'd make sense; better survival if you don't trust anyone,"_ she thought. "I'm Annabeth Chase," she introduced. "I guess you're both demigods too?"

They didn't answer again. Instead, Hazel opened the door ahead of her, revealing a valley which was geologically impossible, at least where it should be in relation to the rest of San Francisco.

Still, it was right there before Annabeth's eyes, a four-mile-squared valley with a city taking up half of it. Another quarter was taken up by a collection of temples, and the final fourth was divided between what looked like barracks and a large field.

Before they got to that, however, they had to cross the river. It didn't sound too bad, until Annabeth realized that there wasn't a bridge. She frowned. "Now _that's_ just sloppy design," she claimed, approaching the river bank. "Especially when it doesn't even look like the current is crossable; it's flowing way too strongly."

Frank approached. "Normally, it isn't this strong…" he said, his voice shaking. This obviously wasn't a normal occurrence, based on his reaction. Hazel remained by the door. Annabeth went back to her.

"What's wrong?"

"I think…I think Frank missed a vital spot on one of our friends up there. It's following us," she claimed. Annabeth gave her a weird look. "I can…sense underground vibrations; child of Pluto thing, since he lives basically underground."

Annabeth nodded. "Hey, the river let up!" Franke exclaimed. "Come on; let's cross now."

The two jogged over, but as soon as Annabeth got close, the current picked up again, more violently this time. "I don't think it likes me."

"This doesn't make sense," Frank said. "The Little Tiber is meant to keep out Rome's enemies, but you're a demigod who was sent here by our Mother. How could…" he held his head like he was thinking too hard. Annabeth ran through some ideas in her head.

"Okay, you two cross," she said, stepping well away, and then slinging off her backpack. She, uh…borrowed some more things, including a whole helluva lot of rope, in case she needed to bind something, or herself, like around the waist as a safety net. She would've used it to slide down to Highway 24 had the gorgons not pressed her for time. She had some pretty steep climbs on the way south, which is why she invested. Well…she didn't invest, since she stole it- or borrowed it. "I'll throw the end to you, and then we'll both tie our ends to…" she looked around, seeing a sturdy-looking tree on the opposite side, and slightly less sturdy tree on this side. "These nice trees."

"Why don't you just toss the rope and we'll pull you across?" Frank wondered.

"I don't trust you," Annabeth said without hesitating. "You kind of freak me out, to be honest."

The two exchanged glances again. "Well…you're pretty suspicious yourself," Frank muttered, though he soon followed Hazel through the calmer Tiber.

Once they were across, Annabeth threw them the rope, holding onto the end for herself. They successfully secured their end, so Annabeth went to secure hers. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough rope, just barely not enough; another arm's length and she'd just be able to tie a secure knot, but not as it was. "Damn…" she muttered, tugging a bit harder, looking back to see if there was any rope caught on something, which there wasn't. "Damn…" Annabeth looked at the end of the rope with wide, frustrated eyes. "Damn! Damn!" she sighed, about to try and think of something else, when the door they'd arrived in burst open, with the remaining gorgon, Stheno, flying with the crazy eyes.

"Oh gods," Hazel said. "Get out of there! We can try downriver!" she called over, but the wheels were turning too loudly in Annabeth's head for her to hear. The gorgon dove for Annabeth, but the girl's reflexes were far too honed for them to make contact.

"Hey, I'm gonna borrow your arm," she told the monster.

"Idiot mortal! I will destroy you and offer you as sacrifice for my master!"

"That…wasn't really a proper answer…then again; I wasn't exactly asking!" with one swift motion, Annabeth completely severed the gorgon's left arm, before bringing her dagger up to slit its throat, being careful to avoid the blood; she had no way of knowing if neck blood counted as left or right. The monster's body soon exploded into dust, but the arm Annabeth took stayed. She didn't have time to ponder why, and just set her plan into motion.

She cut off a length of rope from the end, tying it around the wrist. Then she took the main rope and tied it around the upper arm, adding, hey, an arm's length; exactly what she needed. It was close, but Annabeth managed a tight knot around the stump, and then, she began her trek across the Little Tiber.

The current was much stronger than she anticipated. In fact, the further in she went, the stronger it became. She clung for dear life onto the rope, gagging and spitting up the water as it crashed into her face and body. " _Wish I could tight-rope. That would've made this way easier,"_ she thought numbly, the coldness of the river freezing her to her bones.

Within sixty seconds, she was across, but that seemed to make the river angry. Annabeth coughed, having unintentionally swallowed a whole helping of water which tasted like sewage; probably because it was connected to the aqueduct system she saw just outside the city walls.

Three people met them there, but only one of which caught Annabeth's eye, mostly because she looked visibly disturbed to see the newcomer. She looked to be a year or so younger than Annabeth was. Her skin was of a darker complexion, with hair as black as midnight, which shone in the light of the moon like obsidian. Most of it was messily tied into a French braid, with a lot more of it hanging off of her face in bangs, with a prominent fringe cutting down between her eyes.

Speaking of her eyes, they were split in more ways than one; they were heterochromatic. One was a deep brown color, almost black. The other was almost…half gold? The part of the iris closest to the pupil was golden amber, while the rest was pale blue color. So technically, her set of eyes was heterochromatic, and one of her eyes itself was also had a case of central heterochromia.

She wore standard armor, much like what Frank and Hazel were wearing, minus the helmets, and underneath was a purple T-shirt, along with a…

"Is that a skirt?" Annabeth wondered. The girl blinked, surprised that that was what she was asking in this situation, instead of the obvious 'who are you?' that might accompany a brief glance as the various medals adorning her sash, probably denoting someone of high rank.

"…It's called a pteruge," she said, her voice being a bit more energy-filled than Annabeth was expecting. She offered a hand to shake, which Annabeth took. "Name's Reyna."

"Annabeth Chase. Got a last name?"

"Not one that I'd let you use," she claimed, smirking.

" _When she's silent, she's regal and commanding, like a ruler. Now she speaks, and she has the demeanor of a cocky fighter,"_ Annabeth thought. "I'm guessing this is where Lupa was meaning for me to go?"

"Aye," Reyna nodded. "I'm…impressed. Sometimes the Tiber gets ornery, but I've never seen someone cross so fearlessly, and using the arm too…"

"Yeah, um…do you guys have showers?"

Reyna chuckled. "That's the question everyone thinks when they arrive, but few speak it. Hazel, Frank," she addressed the two. They came to attention. "Swap out for Nathan and Michael. You've served the Legion well today. Return to your respective cohorts."

"Yes, ma'am," they said in unison before jogging off to the barracks. Annabeth put a hand on her hip.

"So I'm guessing you're the leader of these demigods?"

"And if I am?" Reyna questioned. "You wouldn't think to undermine my leadership so soon, would you?"

Annabeth looked the younger girl up and down. She didn't see any tension in her body, but she exuded it nonetheless. If Annabeth answered wrong, then she would have a rough fight on her hands. She put a hand on her dagger just in case, going about it as casually as she could. "I guess I'll see if you deserve it. You've certainly got the authoritative presence down, at least."

For a terrifying moment, Annabeth thought Reyna might attack. Her smirk faded, and it was her turn to look over Annabeth. The older girl couldn't tell what Reyna was thinking; her expression was unreadable. It showed no signs of hostility or friendliness, it was completely neutral.

Then, she grinned and slapped Annabeth on the back. "You should feel honored; I don't give out these stupid tours too often."

"Tour?"

"Of course; we've got to show you New Rome, and the rest of Camp Jupiter."

xxxXXXxxx

The walk was pleasant enough for Annabeth, though she would've preferred to have been given the tour after she was given the chance to eat and bathe. Still, the girl hardly thought about it, as she was preoccupied with being amazed at the architecture of New Rome. Oftentimes she would interrupt Reyna's speech about the Principia or Temple Hill to comment on the design, whether she would've widened the entrance a bit, or alter that material used for the archway or whatever else came to her mind.

One interesting thing about the city was that there wasn't one torch. Okay, that was fine; Annabeth would've expected street lights like a normal city, but no. They had fires in braziers, but it was blue, not red-orange. When she asked about it, Reyna waved it off, called the blue flames the Roman flower, and said it helps keep everything calm.

Speaking of the Principia, though, that was where Annabeth met a key player in this place's traditions. "Octavian?" Reyna greeted the boy, who was sitting on the stairs that led inside. "What are you doing out here?" she wondered, her voice shockingly comforting when addressing him. He looked up at her, his eyes looking tired and dejected. "Don't tell me…"

"I simply cannot put up with him anymore," the boy lamented, his voice being higher than Annabeth expected. Maybe he was younger than she thought, or maybe he just had a high voice.

The boy, Octavian, was lanky as hell, with long limbs and almost no muscle, it seemed. He was taller than both of the girls by a good few inches, and his face seemed to have angled out from puberty, as opposed to the baby-face that Frank had had (despite his obvious age). All in all, Annabeth couldn't even begin to guess his age. It could've been thirteen (unlikely) to nineteen (also unlikely).

"Octavian, you promised," Reyna reminded him.

"I'm well apprised to that fact, but…" Octavian grimaced as he looked inside the building.

"Who's he talking about?" Annabeth wondered.

"My fellow Praetor," Reyna said, taking a deep breath. "I'll catch up. Octavian, take a break and go appraise our friend."

"Yes, ma'am," the boy stood and bowed slightly. Reyna disappeared inside of the building, while Annabeth followed the lanky kid.

Reyna found the man in question sitting casually amid a sea of various papers and rules. Short cropped red hair, piercing blue eyes; strange combo. He could have had Irish heritage, or it could've been dyed. The eyes indicated great power, though that was on Reyna, given the other demigod with blue eyes that she knew was one of the strongest at camp. Even just sitting down casually, he looked intimidating. Tall, built as hell like Reyna was. He looked to be her equal physically, but he definitely beat her when it came to his mind. The way he would look at you; it was like he instantly knew every weakness you had.

He looked up upon hearing her enter, looking over without turning his head; it was scary how honed his senses were. "Hey there," he greeted.

"What did you do?" she questioned, crossing her arms.

"Eh? What? About the kid? He's fine; I sent him off."

"I ordered him to teach you everything. You don't have the authority to contradict that order."

"Well," the man held up a paper and pointed to a line about Praetors having equal power and say in decisions. "Technically I do."

Reyna's lip quivered in frustration. She drew her blade, the Tabula Rasa, and pointed it at him. "Avast ye, outsider. I offered you this position as a courtesy to Pluto's ambassador. Just because you are my equal in rank does not make us equals in authority. If you cross mine again, I will cut out your tongue and feed it to my wolves for mutiny. Is that understood?"

The man didn't seem worried about her threat. He finally turned to face her, giving a casual smile. "You have my word, Reyna. I would never mean to upset you," he assured, his eyes glinting like a thief's upon seeing an expensive necklace. Reyna heard the words, but could only focus on the teardrop-shaped scar that ran down one side of his face. "I never go back on my word."

She shifted her gaze, but not physically. She saw his aura; clear, no sign of hostility or treachery. She withdrew her blade and sheathed it. "…Good. Make sure something like this doesn't happen again."

"Of course."

Reyna turned to leave. "When Octavian returns, inform him that you must learn about calling rank and the War Games."

"Alright, sure," the man waved her off, rifling through the papers. Reyna hoped he was simply gathering the necessary ones for what she just told him, rather than trying to figure them out on his own, which is likely why Octavian was in such a huff when she found him; the boy didn't handle things well when he felt orders weren't being followed.

Reyna started off to Temple Hill, where she saw a lightning bolt strike the largest building's top.

xxxXXXxxx

"So what's this 'appraisal' stuff?" Annabeth wondered as they walked.

"Oh, it's…nothing special. I call upon to gods' will, to see if they approve of your arrival, or if they wish to see you executed."

"Pleasant," Annabeth noted.

"Yes well, I am honored to be able to see their will; it's a humbling experience, even with the praise it garners around camp."

"So you're the only one that can do it?"

"That is correct," Octavian claimed. "But…it's really not that big a deal."

Annabeth shrugged. "I guess not. The gods seem like pretty active forces, given how many children they seem to have. I bet they come talk to you guys all of the time."

"Actually…" the boy hesitated. "They don't. I have heard of only a single time that the gods have appeared before us mortals in person."

"Oh really? Well…how was it? Was it recent?"

"Yes, very," he said. He opened his mouth as if to tell the tale, but then he hesitated again. "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you."

"…Are us Romans always so secretive?"

"It's 'we Romans' and no. This is a special case. I assure you that we, as a people, are quite open. We don't shy away from our ancestors' checkered pasts."

"Cool, good to know," Annabeth said nonchalantly as they reached the cluster of temples. "So, what are these for? Do they have a purpose?"

"Ceremonial ones, but yes," Octavian pointed to each of the largest buildings in turn. "There is the Temple of Bellona, goddess of war and strategy. Reyna prayed to her mother inside there for a week leading up to when she was named as our Praetor. Over there is the Temple of Pluto, god of death and wealth. In olden times, when going on an expedition, travelers would pray for good fortune."

"Wouldn't that responsibility go to a god of luck or something?"

"Fortuna is unfortunately not prominent enough to receive a temple," Octavian claimed. "Next is the Temple of Mars Ultor, god of war and father of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. Finally, our most important monument of all; the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus."

" _Please_ tell me I don't have to call him that every time," Annabeth groaned. Octavian's lip twitched in annoyance but he didn't respond, just led her inside and expounded further.

"Jupiter, king of the gods, judges every demigod to enter our camp. He is the wisest of the gods."

"What about Athena?" Annabeth questioned. Octavian raised an eyebrow. "Or…I guess she would have a different name for Rome, huh?"

"…The goddess Minerva is wise, yes," Octavian said. "She certainly bears the wisest children."

"Oh, I bet _she's_ my mom!" Annabeth's eyes lit up. "I _love_ learning anything I can, especially architecture! Just every possible way you could design a building down to the different materials, oh!" she trailed off. "It's so liberating."

When she focused back on Octavian, she couldn't tell if he was sympathetic or questioning why he was wasting his time with her. The sheepish smile could've indicated both, among other things. "Yes, well, before your mother can claim you, you must be accepted by the father of the gods," he gestured to the big statue of Jupiter behind him. "Now then, I will need an offering."

"Of…what?"

"Anything. Fear not; if you are accepted, I will return it," he insisted. Hesitantly, and thinking of nothing else but her hat, she handed him her dagger. Octavian drew it, examining it. "This…is a Greek weapon."

"Is it?" she wondered. Octavian looked at her briefly, probably trying to deduce if she was an enemy based on it. Still, he sheathed it and turned around to the statue.

He closed his eyes and knelt. "Lord Jupiter. Please, hear my call and respect my word. I bring you one who has survived the treacherous journey to our home, and wish to see her worthy or unworthy by your name. I offer you this blade as a show of faith. If you find this mortal worthy, please send a sign."

Almost immediately, they got a response. A giant lightning bolt came down, blasting through the roof and being absorbed by the statue's own bolt. If it'd landed on the ground, it would've incinerated them both. When they looked up, the sky was clear; not a cloud in sight.

"Looks like a sign to me. But what did it mean?" Annabeth wondered.

"It…was a begrudging acceptance. I have…never seen so powerful a reaction."

"I would more say violent," Annabeth claimed, tugging on his arm. "Come on; I need a shower and some grub."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Yay...The Son of Neptune adaptation has begun. Don't expect it to be nearly as long as the first one, because the book is shorter than the others and most of it sucks ass, so I basically made everything up besides the barebones skeleton of the plot.**

 **Anyhoo, why don't you let me know what you thought? Maybe in a, uh...review type thing tha tI hear you can do on this site? Maybe?**


	22. Focus On The Goal

"Wow…I didn't notice the view when we came up…" Annabeth gawked as they exited the temple.

"Impressive, isn't it? This is the culmination of thousands of years of work and triumph."

"You can see the entire city from here!" she exclaimed excitedly. She could spend hours picking through the various buildings. Soon, her eyes drifted to a blemish. "What's the over there?" she pointed. Octavian knew what she was talking about without even looking.

"That's…where-"

"Hey, you two," Reyna waltzed up to them. "I saw the lightning. Is everything okay?"

"Yep, I got accepted," Annabeth said.

"It was incredible," Octavian agreed. "Though, a bit foreboding. It was as if Lord Jupiter was forced to comply, and he didn't like it."

"Well, blow me down," Reyna put her hands on her hips. "Guess he pegged you for a troublemaker already," she told the older girl. "But, if what Octavian says is true, then that means you've got friends up in the heavens too. Consider it a blessing."

"Will do. So…what now?"

"Well, Octavian will be returning to his duty. I've had a word with our friend; he's assured me that he won't be a problem any longer."

"As you command," the boy bowed light, though he didn't look very happy about going back.

"Who's this other praetor? Will I get to meet him?"

"Not right away," she replied, giving a light smile. "He's been gone for a long time, and is only just returning. He's got a lot of catching up to do before he sees anyone. For now, though, we need to get you acquainted with your new home."

"Sure. Bath?"

"In due time."

"Grub?"

"Not if you keep asking. Come on."

Reyna continued showing the girl around the city, showing her the schools they had, even a university. Reyna led her to the Field of Mars, where she informed her that they would have their war games that night, after she was claimed by a cohort. The whole time, though, Annabeth couldn't stop thinking about that blemish on the city.

"Was there an attack?" she suddenly asked. "Is that why part of the city looks all destroyed?"

Reyna stopped walking, her expressing darkening. "…Yes, there was, but…" she bit her lip.

"Octavian said we were open about our past. Was he lying?"

"No," Reyna took a deep breath. "Last summer, the Titans returned to overthrow Olympus. One of their most powerful, Krios, attacked New Rome, taking many of our brothers and sisters from us. In return, we marched to their home, Mount Orthys, and launched a counteroffensive. We succeeded in toppling Lord Cronus' black throne, weakening him enough to where the gods, who had been holding him at bay on Olympus, could finally end him."

Annabeth nodded. She knew that Reyna meant wherever those places had occupied as they moved west, not in actual Greece, or what was once the Roman Empire. "I can…only imagine," she said, though it didn't sound very genuine. In reality, she didn't feel much sympathy. Empathy, sure, in fact a lot of it, but somehow, Annabeth could tell that she'd been through worse than a single attack. Part of her wished she could remember, but most of her was glad that she didn't; she liked to be able to sleep peacefully through the night.

"I apologize. I'd intended to tell you later, after you'd grown more accustomed. I didn't intend to act as secretive about it, but…"

"It's okay," she said, putting a hand on Reyna's shoulder. "I get it."

Reyna smiled. "Thank you."

"I do have a question, though."

"And that is?"

"Why haven't you rebuilt? Surely enough time has passed to where the rubble would be gone at least?"

"…The wound is too fresh. Now, we consider it a punishment to clean a portion of it," she said. "But enough about this. You requested a bath and food, yes? The feast is almost ready, I will show you to the Great Bath before then."

xxxXXXxxx

Reyna led Annabeth to a massive pavilion after the older girl got dressed in a proper purple shirt and jeans. It was set up with rows upon rows of tables to house not just the Legion, but everyone in New Rome who wished to be there, though the Legion was set to sit with their cohort in a specific area; discipline and all that.

It looked like they were the last ones to arrive, meaning most of the tables were filled. "So…where do I sit?" Annabeth wondered. Reyna smirked.

She stepped up onto a table and raised her hands. It was only a matter of seconds before the entire pavilion was silent. "Thank you, brothers and sisters! I come with glorious news; we have a new sister. Sent by Mother and approved by Lord Jupiter, her name is Annabeth Chase!" Reyna gestured to the girl, who suddenly had hundreds of eyes on her. A wave of cheers ensured, with many raising goblets to her name. "Now, all that's left is for her to join the Legion! Who wishes to claim her?"

At first, no one responded. A few in the crowd exchanged nervous glances, like they were debating whether to vouch for her. Annabeth, instead of feeling rejected, found herself intrigued; could anyone claim her for their cohort? If so, what did that entail?

"We'll take her," Hazel stood up. "We accept anyone and everyone in the Fifth."

Cheers erupted from the tables surrounding her. Then another person stood. "Hold up; you got the last three newcomers. The First takes every able body."

"You didn't get her first, Nathan," Hazel chided.

"The Third would place their lives in her hands any day," another boy stood as well. Frank tried to pull him down.

"Michael, please don't involve us in this…" the boy pleaded, to little avail, as his cohort.

"The Fourth is all in too."

"As is the Second!"

Clamor erupted in the area, with some even throwing food at each other. "Silence!" Reyna called, and soon everything stopped. "She can only belong to a single Cohort unless under extreme exception. If you cannot decide than I will decide for you!"

"Can't I decide?" Annabeth wondered aloud. Reyna turned to her with a glare on her face, telling her stay out of it.

"That is against the ancient laws," Reyna explained quietly. "If one could join any cohort, than one of them would surely overtake the rest with time."

It really didn't take that long to think of a solution to that problem. "Okay…then make me earn the right to choose. I'll do something impressive, or try to. If I can do it, then I get to choose. Deal?"

The Legion watched to see Reyna's reaction. Half of them expected her to blow up and gut Annabeth right there, but instead she nodded; her expression was thoughtful. "…Then you will stay with me until that time comes," she said before turning back to the Legion. "At ease, return to your business."

Annabeth followed Reyna away from them. The younger girl sighed. "You're lucky you're special, or else I'd have had you feed the fish."

"Um…"

"Have you killed," she translated.

"Wait, so I'm special? How? Is it related to my amnesia?"

"It…could be…" Reyna's tone was unclear, making Annabeth suspect something else was at play, but she didn't press it. "You'll be staying in the higher quarters within the city."

"With that other praetor?" Annabeth guessed. Truth be told, she was excited to meet him. She hadn't met a single boring person yet, though there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head that she shouldn't trust a word any of them said. She wouldn't tell them that, though.

"Yes, I suppose…" her voice drooped.

"You sound tired."

"Yes, well, running the entire Legion by yourself is rather…I mean, it's not any of your business," Reyna said quickly.

"I thought there was another praetor? What's he doing?"

"…As I said, he's been gone a long time."

"So, you should be used to running it by yourself," Annabeth accused.

"…I should, shouldn't I?" Reyna said, gesturing to inside the building she's led them to. "This is where we praetors dine and rest. It is also where we discuss the issues of the Legion. Don't get comfortable; you won't be staying for but a few days."

"Right," Annabeth said, taking a seat at the table. "So, what do we have on the…" Annabeth started before Reyna plopped down a full glass bottle with a label facing away from Annabeth, along with a glass half-full of a colorless liquid. Reyna popped open the bottle and poured the glass to the top, before taking a few gulps to drink the whole thing, before slamming it back down onto the table, with it magically refilling to the half-full state. "Menu…"

Reyna noticed the girl's staring. "What? Have you never seen a lass enjoy a bit of Nelson's folly?" she questioned.

"Is that…rum? What are you, a pirate?"

"For a while," Reyna claimed, pouring herself another glass. "Before I came here, I was prisoner to them, along with my sister. We led a mutiny, and they named me captain, as I drove the prior's own blade through his gut, and my sister the first mate. We sailed for but a year before we were found, and told who we were. I grew fond of their bumbo and picked up on their speech; neither has left me since. My sister, well…the same wasn't true for her on either account."

"I guess that's why you carry a cutlass instead of a Roman sword?" Annabeth guessed. "That's the pirate captain's sword?"

"Aye," Reyna raised it high. It looked thicker than she expected, and was gold instead of the standard steel. "It once belonged to the great Blackbeard, but now it's mine. Tabula Rasa, clean slate, in honor of my new life."

"I see," Annabeth said, drawing her own weapon. "But why is it golden? I thought cutlasses were generally made of mortal steel."

"When I arrived, when choosing a weapon, I requested to have my own blade coated in it. It's a thin coating, so as not to add weight, but it's enough to make it as unbreakable as any gladius here, and in my hands, ten times as deadly," she claimed, offering a not-so-subtle warning to Annabeth not to cross her. "But enough about my blade. I see that knife on your side."

"Oh, this?" Annabeth took it off her belt. "I think mine is called Trident."

Reyna nodded and lowered her sword. "That's not a Roman weapon either," she noted. "May I?"

"Of course," Annabeth handed it to her. Reyna unsheathed it and examined it thoroughly, as if looking for a flaw. Being the daughter of the goddess of war, Annabeth wouldn't be surprised if she were looking for an imperfection she could use to break it in battle. It was the same natural inclination that Annabeth had for asking so many questions and wanting to learn things. "Well?"

"Well-forged," she concluded. "The words etched on the blade. I…I apologize, but I can't-"

"Evermore onward," Annabeth translated. "It took me a while to read too."

"And you have no memory pertaining to these words? To this dagger?"

"No, unfortunately. My guess is that it's a promise or vow or something, but…that's all I can think of," Annabeth admitted. "That theory has _some_ evidence at least," she took off her beanie. "I had this on me too. On the inside, you can see a little something. PxA. I'm obviously the 'A', so I must have someone special, right? Maybe they gave it to me?"

When Reyna heard that, her expression flickered for the briefest of moments; she knew something and wasn't telling Annabeth. "Well…it's more sound than nothing," she said as she handed it back.

"Agreed. Anyway, um…were your eyes always like that?" Reyna blinked and didn't answer. "I mean, if it's a sore subject, then-"

The older girl was interrupted by Reyna's hearty laughter. "I keep forgetting that this is your first day!" she cackled.

"Or maybe you just can't hold your drink in…" Annabeth muttered, quiet enough to where Reyna didn't hear. The blonde suspected that she wouldn't take it lightly.

"I got this from my mother, Bellona," she claimed, briefly telling the tale. "When being promoted to praetor, you need to partake in a quest. Upon my successful return, my mother granted me this," she pointed to her blue eye. Annabeth guessed that meant it was naturally golden and that her mother had changed it. "It gives me power; I can see your intention, so to speak. I call it your aura, for simplicity's sake. I see it like a flame around your body. I can feel its ebb and flow. I can even sense its approach if you decide to attack me from behind."

"Sounds spooky," Annabeth said. "What else can you do with it?"

"Well, if you aura shows that you're hostile then I can gut you right there. If it says you're a friendly then I can leave you be. It can show me more about a lad or lass than they would care to tell me."

"Okay…and what did you see in mine?"

"You…are not to be trusted," she announced. "But…you're an exception."

"So I've been told," she returned. "So, I'm guessing a quest is where he got that nasty scar, then?" she gestured over to the door. Reyna turned, seeing her fellow praetor standing within the doorway.

" _Damn, I didn't even notice…"_ she thought, glaring. " _Don't tell me she's just as honed as he is…I can't have two of them running around."_

"Ah, the woman of the hour," he said, entering the room proper. Annabeth looked at him, feeling an odd sense of comfort from seeing him. Unlike with the others, Annabeth immediately felt she could trust him, despite that devious glint in his eye. He held out his hand to her. "The name is Tempus. You must be Annabeth; Reyna told me about how you braved the rapid Tiber earlier today."

Reyna lowered her eyes. " _No, I didn't. Don't tell me he was spying on that. Octavian was with…wait…no he wasn't; he sent the boy out,"_ she thought.

"Well, it was really nothing," Annabeth admitted. Note 'admitted' not 'claimed', implying truth. "Honestly, Mother said that the journey here would push me to my limit, but it was actually pretty easy."

"Well…" Tempus considered it for a moment as he said down at the table. "You _are_ older than most. It's likely you got used to scavenging from all your years."

"You mean…I didn't have a home?"

"It's only a guess," Tempus claimed. "But either that, or whatever you called home was harsh enough to prepare you for a journey like that."

"Tempus," Reyna got his attention. "See me after the war games," she ordered.

"Sure thing."

"And did Octavian teach about forming ranks?"

"Yep."

"About the war games?"

"Uh-huh."

"Calling attention."

"Yes; he made sure to tell me about everything. I should be fine from-"

"Good, tomorrow, he'll go over a few essential Roman proverbs, then," Reyna interrupted. "And by a few, I mean several hundred. Perhaps that will be more to your pace so you don't jump ahead like today."

Tempus sighed. "…Whatever."

"Isn't he a praetor? Shouldn't he know this stuff? You guys couldn't have changed cultures so fast, could you?"

"…A lot has changed since the Titans," Reyna claimed. "You'd be surprised just how much."

Annabeth didn't buy it, but she nodded anyway and held her tongue. "So, how long until these war games? And what are they anyway?"

"Tempus, would you care to explain? I need more grog."

"You and your alcohol…fine. The war games are a sort of…extreme team-building exercise, where we have defending and attacking teams, where the defenders must, hey, defend their banners from the attacking team. Our engineers build different set-ups every time, so we never get used to the intricacies of each fort they build. You could consider it like Capture-The-Flag, which might be something you're more familiar with."

"Why would I be more familiar with that?" Annabeth asked. Tempus chuckled.

"Ah…never mind. Anyway, since you opted not to be claimed by a cohort, it'll be up to us to decide where you end up."

" _But you weren't there when that happened,"_ Annabeth thought. These inconsistencies were beginning to get overbearing, but she still held it in.

"Actually, it'll be up to me," Reyna said. "I said she was staying with _me_ , therefore she's my responsibility."

The two stood each other down for a moment, before Tempus raised his hands in relent. "Um…" Annabeth wasn't quite sure what to make of that. "Is there some tension between you two? What? Are you two like ex-lovers or something?"

Reyna glared at the older girl. "…I've a lad of my own already," she claimed, in such a way that Annabeth couldn't tell whether she was lying or not.

"Well, to be fair, we're bickering like a married couple," Tempus admitted.

"Psh, if you were my husband I'd poison your grog."

"And if you were my wife, I'd drink it," he grinned. "But speaking of grog and presumably the food that comes with it," he stood and left the room for a minute. "We've wasted enough time on talk. Now it's time to gorge ourselves."

xxxXXXxxx

"Whoa…and they built all that in…how much time?"

"Just today," Reyna claimed as they approached the grounds for the war games. It was a massive fortress, equipped with arrow slits for defenders and high walls that would normally be impossible to climb. The field around the fortress was scarred by multiple trenches, no doubt they don't have the time to fill them all in after each war games. "You'll be a part of the attacking team," she informed the older girl. "Join them, see Hazel; she'll put you where you'll be most useful."

Annabeth nodded and jogged off. Tempus stared after her for a moment, a longing in his eye, which Reyna noticed. "Ahem," she got his attention, but only barely. "Is there something you wish to discuss?"

Tempus shook his head. "No. Not with you. No offense, but…it's personal."

Reyna nodded. "Agreed; it was merely a courtesy. I didn't actually care, outsider."

"Figures…" he muttered as Reyna climbed on her Pegasus, Scipio. He climbed on after her.

"Legion! Attention!" she called as she flew into the air. "We have cohorts Five, Four, and Three attacking, and cohorts One and Two defending. I trust your banners are placed?" Roars erupted from the Romans stationed in the fortress. "And I trust you're ready to retrieve them?" equal roars came from the attacking campers. "I will be referee in this session. Let the war games begin!"

The campers charged at once, their feet somehow staying in time with each other. "What do I do?" Annabeth questioned. Hazel turned back to her briefly.

"Do your best!" she called back before going with her cohort. Annabeth didn't follow at first. She wanted to survey the area. She noticed the attackers be immediately be pelted with a rain of arrows. Thankfully, their heads were flat. It didn't do much for the aerodynamics, but it made them non-lethal. Everyone was equipped with the minimum amount of armor, namely a chest plate, to avoid any unnecessary risks.

The Third and Fifth worked together, for the most part. They worked to put up siege ladders, while the Fourth tried to make a make-shift explosive to blow through the first main wall. A branch of the Third also tried to use a gifted battering ram to blow through the gates, allowing for wide entry by all attackers.

The First was the one firing the arrows at the attackers, while the Second worked to cut down and push away the siege ladders. " _Hm…"_ the wheels in Annabeth's head turned. " _No one's using the trenches…too slow? Then why are they here if they wouldn't have been used. There has to be a reason,"_ she reasoned, only to shift focus as the battle turned for the worse for the attackers as their coordination began to fall apart. " _Maybe it's every cohort for themselves, only…no, the Third and Fifth are working together, but…maybe it's because of inexperience? Hazel seemed to look to Frank for guidance when we met. Given her age, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume she's new, and Frank was helping her lead the cohort until a second was promoted, so the team up is understandable. That means the batterers would be…yes, I see the Third's other Centurion leading that front. Should I then assume that it_ is _every cohort trying separately?"_

"Hey!" Reyna flew close by. "Get in there with your cohort; I put you under Hazel's command for this!" she demanded.

"I'm thinking!" Annabeth returned.

"A true Roman could both fight _and_ think! Now go!" Reyna ordered. Reluctantly, Annabeth waded into the battle. She picked up a shield that someone had dropped, and drew her dagger. She did her best to avoid the heaviest arrow portions, which were mainly centered near the ladders and batterers. She ducked into one of the nearer trenches.

" _I knew it!"_ she thought, seeing a tunnel cutting right below the surface, accessed via the trenches. She hesitated briefly before jogging inside. Her dagger's natural luminescence offered just enough light to see her way, but nothing about where she was going. Annabeth had a vague sense of direction, but it didn't help her make the decisions when the path forked. After an eternity, Annabeth saw light, and emerged within the stone walls of the fortress. " _Knew it,"_ she thought with a smug sense of satisfaction.

"Hey! How did you get in here?!" a Second member questioned, noticing her emergence.

"Uh oh…"

Almost immediately, four archers were trained on her, and with no time to run, she had to take the arrows. Her body moved on command, deftly moving her shield to block each arrow in turn. As they prepared another volley, and as their friends approached her for direct combat, Annabeth made a break for it, dashing into a watchtower to her right. She hid behind the doorway and conked one of her attackers on his way in, knocking him out. His body tripped up the guy behind him, and the third man, actually a girl, was so surprised that Annabeth had ample time to run out and bash her face in as well. The archers were readying their bows when Annabeth noticed them.

She dashed behind a wall as the arrows whizzed past her head. She peered around the corner, seeing them approach. " _Should I take them? I probably could,"_ she thought, before deciding against it. " _They're not the goal. Focus on the goal."_

She ducked behind another corner before they turned the prior one, and just like that, she was free. Well, until she alerted another group of campers. This one was bigger, totaling about a dozen campers of various ages. Some of them looked no older than ten, and yet their eyes held the same fierce determination to win that was in the older fighters' eyes.

Annabeth might've been intimidated if she didn't also have that fiery passion for victory. "Hey. You wanna tell me where the banners are?" she asked.

"…You're kidding," one of them replied. Annabeth shrugged.

"Eh. I thought I'd give it a shot," she said. Without warning, one of them brought out a horn and blew into it. This alerted the rest of the fortress that there'd been an intruder. "What? Oh come on! That just ruins the fun!"

"Yeah, maybe yours," a voice behind her came only just before she was bashed away by a golden club, nearer to the group of dozen fighters.

Reyna flew overhead, surveying the outer battle from afar. "It's going well tonight," she mentioned. "I would prefer the Fifth and Third not working so closely, but absolute teamwork is a kind of mantra for us, even between cohorts."

"Not for our newcomer, apparently," Tempus mentioned, pointing to within the walls.

"What? How did she…the trenches…damn it! I told them to fill them in!" Reyna snapped.

"Hey, it's the First's Centurion that's occupied with her too."

"Nathan? Gods blow me down. Fly, girl!" she ordered her steed. "Newcomer!" she called down. Annabeth's eyes flitted to the praetor. "Return to your assigned cohort! You're too exposed!"

"I thought you were a referee, not my guardian angel! Butt out!" Annabeth returned. Nathan and the others looked shocked that anyone would speak to the praetor that way, and momentarily waited for Reyna's reaction, but she didn't provide one.

Nathan acted first. "I've got her," he assured his cohort. "Newcomers, watch what a Centurion can do."

"Damn it, this isn't good," Reyna said, her heartrate picking up.

"Why?" Tempus wondered. "Seems to me like it'll be a good show."

"Shut your trap or I'll feed you to the goddamn sharks!" she snapped.

Annabeth couldn't do much against Nathan in a head-on fight. It was a mistake to act so casually; she should've been more aware. Granted, she probably could've gotten away and tried another dirty trick, if not for the dozen campers watching their battle and blocking the only other exit to the path she was on. Her eyes darted from her opponent to her surroundings. " _Maybe I could climb the walls to escape? But what are the chances of there not being more defenders waiting for me on the other side…no, just stand and fight. Lose with pride."_

And so, she charged. Nathan was slow, but strong. Even when she nicked him with her dagger, he hardly seemed to notice, swiping her away again.

"Surrender," Nathan urged. "Or I'll have to get rougher."

"Ooh, I'm terrified," Annabeth mocked.

"Do you…have any self-preservation?"

Annabeth chuckled. "Well…as far as I can remember, my life only started a month ago, so who cares if I keel over?"

Nathan frowned, dissatisfied with the answer. Still, he approached while hefting his club. He raised it high, prepared to bash her brains in, at least to knock her unconscious. Annabeth surprised him with the speed of her attack. She dashed forward, slashing both of his legs, making him drop to his knees. "W-wha-" he was interrupted by Annabeth bashing his nose with her shield, cracking it. He fell backwards.

"Ooh, good move," Tempus complimented. Reyna wasn't so sure; the blonde only succeeded in making him mad. And when he gets mad, he gets his cohort involved.

"Attack!" he ordered as he stood. Annabeth whirled around, ready to face the dozen attackers. She wouldn't have to alone, however.

"I can't watch this!" Reyna growled as she leapt off of her mount, forcing Tempus to take the reins both figuratively and literally.

Reyna landed between Annabeth and the defending campers. Annabeth understood in a split second that she was an ally, and turned back around to face-off with Nathan. "What the hell?" he questioned.

Annabeth offered another cocky smirk. "Looks like I've got a friend."

Tempus raised his voice over the battle. "And it looks like your praetor gave into her roots and is helping the Fifth! Keep pushing, attackers and defenders!"

Reyna fought like a demon, being acutely aware of every movement of her multiple opponents. She parried and stabbed her away through the enemy. Even as their numbers doubled from Tempus' announcement of her presence, she kept up easily. Her cutlass twisted and slashed gracefully from her practiced form, easily decimating the opposition.

Annabeth saw this in-between her bouts with Nathan, which usually ended with her loss. She could only play the "I give up but not really" card once, which meant it was down to her wit, which wasn't worth much when her shield shattered after another successful block. Down to just her dagger, Annabeth figured she'd fare better against some of the others, whose weapons seemed mild compared to Nathan's own. "Give me some!" she called to Reyna, who looked back briefly to see Annabeth intervene in her battle, leaving Nathan for her while taking about half of her adversaries.

Reyna ducked under a joint attack by the Second's Centurions and landed strong kicks on each of their faces, using the attack to propel herself forward. She dove over Larry's spear as he attempted to sweep her feet from under her, and finally made it to Nathan. He stood a foot taller than her, and yet he was forced back when their weapons clashed. "You never _were_ one to be professional," Nathan mentioned.

"And that's why I was always our mother's favorite!" Reyna returned, forcing the boy back. Even injured, Nathan was one of the best fighters at camp, surpassed only by Reyna herself and possibly Tempus. Though that was more based on his boastfulness and superior attitude, as she'd never seen him fight before. Reyna managed to parry her opponent's heavy blows, using his sweeping motions, uncharacteristic for a Roman using a club or sword, to his allies' disadvantage, bringing several of them within direct reach of his weapon, knocking them out cold and probably cracking a few of their bones as well.

Reyna caught his club as he swung downward and moved it to the side, making him accidentally stick it into the ground from the momentum. Reyna smirked, knowing she'd gotten him into a bad way. "Heads up!" she heard behind her as Annabeth vaulted over her, kicking Nathan away from his weapon.

The praetor whirled around to block three simultaneous strikes, eyeing each of them; Bruce, Kristin, and Barry, all from the Second and all children of Mars; they would be expecting her to either retreat or press back. Instead…

Reyna arched her back to avoid their blows and then back-stepped. She then, as they attempted to follow-up, kicked Nathan's club into Barry, sending him barreling into the others, and making them sprawl into the entryway, where others were trying to get their taste of the praetor's prowess.

"We need to get back to the others," Reyna urged. Annabeth had noticed the small lull in the battle. "Jump off of me across the wall."

"We need to get to the banners!" Annabeth said, ignoring her. She dashed further into the compound. Reyna growled with frustration, but followed her. " _You're_ lucky _you look like_ her _, newcomer,"_ she thought as they were met with the last defense. They'd ducked into various different towers and jumped down to lower floors getting here, all in the name of avoiding another big encounter.

Though, from the distraction they provided, the Fifth and part of the Third had managed to enter the fortress, keeping the heat away from Annabeth and Reyna. This left just a few people to guard the banners, and they didn't look particularly confident.

This was, of course, when Nathan reentered the fray, completely demolishing the wall behind the banners, taking one of his signature shortcuts, and re-engaged Reyna, as his cohort flooded the room. "Keep the banners safe at all costs!" he ordered, even as Annabeth effortlessly weaved through their blows, her singular focus on achieving victory driving her every step.

She snatched the first banner, that of the Second Cohort. Then she made her way over to the First's, where several Legionnaires were waiting. She used the banner she had as a sort of veil, using its movement to confuse them as to which way she was approach.

She ducked underneath their blows. "Got them!" she called triumphantly.

"Idiot! Don't _announce_ that!" Reyna snapped, bashing Nathan's face in with the butt of her sword, knocking him out finally. "We need to get out!"

"But…bah! Fine!" the two women fought their way to each other and then made their way out. On several occasions, Annabeth lost her grip on one or both of the banners, but Reyna picked up the slack, either offering another grip, physically linking them, or steadying her hand with her own, or her body, depending on if she was in mid-attack at the time. "We're nearly at the wall! Knock them out! Use them to make a pile!" Annabeth suggested.

"No!" Reyna said, taking a brief glance at the height of the wall. "I'll throw you!"

"What?!"

"When I give the signal!" Reyna ordered. "Run at me and jump!" she knocked another camper unconscious and used his body as a ward, swinging him about to make space. "Now!" she yelled as she threw the boy toward her. Annabeth dove over him and dashed. Her foot landed in Reyna's cupped hands, and the daughter of Bellona threw her up with all of her might. " _This time, you'll be the one to survive the battle,"_ she thought as she readied herself for the fight to come. But it never did. The defenders stopped attacking her, and after a moment, she remembered that this wasn't a true battle, and Annabeth wasn't actually…her…

Annabeth soared through the air. " _Damn, but she can throw,"_ she thought, thinking that even a normal demigod couldn't throw that far. The Fifth was waiting to catch her, banners in hand.

"Victory for the Fifth!" Hazel called, though the fighting had already stopped. Cheers erupted from the whole Legion, of both triumph and congratulations.

"And with that, brothers and sisters, we have our winner of tonight's war games!" Tempus announced. "With the unorthodox strategy, it's an honor to present the Mural Crown to Annabeth Chase, cohort-less newcomer!"

Annabeth was raised onto the shoulders of members from the whole Legion. She found herself laughing, overjoyed at the praise she received.

The only person not cheering was Reyna, who'd left the Field of Mars soon after the victor was announced. " _Foolish…"_ she scolded herself, though barely having the will to do so. She was shedding tears. " _Damn it…you promised not to do this…not after so long…"_

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, development. How about that? Anyhoo, I personally really like this chapter. The book's version had this half-assed attempt to make Frank a relevant character, and it failed pretty miserably. I like how this turned out. And if you think the Romans are kind of half-and-half between the collective and individual...well, you might be picking up on something.**

 **So, how about you guys let me know what you thin in a review?**


	23. No More Lies

Reyna was alone in the principia for a good few hours, and it gave her a lot of time to be angry. She'd retrieved her treasure; a notebook which looked like something one would carry in middle school for geometry notes. She'd debated opening the book for several months, but never could; she'd been given specific instructions to hold off.

She sat at the table, pondering whether it was the right time to read its contents, and while she did so, she downed another six glasses of bumbo. It was a shame that she didn't feel anything from it anymore. "Don't you ever stop drinking?" Tempus questioned as he entered. She looked up at him tiredly.

"…I don't get drunk," she muttered. He nodded and sat down, gesturing for her to explain why. "…It's a 'gift' from Lord Bacchus, at Mother's request. It came after a particularly…embarrassing display during war games a few years back…" she said.

"Embarrassing display?" Tempus smirked, amused. He didn't think she'd ever allow herself to act strangely in public. Reyna found herself chuckling.

"I've grown fond of the memory…if for…no other reason than it was the first time we…" she paused, frowning. "I mean, the first time he and I had a moment. We were both Centurions of the Fifth at that point."

"Oh, your 'lad'," the praetor guessed. Reyna nodded. "I'm guessing he's the beta male, then?"

Reyna laughed. "You're damn right," she claimed.

"…What's his name again?"

"…Jason," she said softly.

"And you're sure he's even alive?"

"Lady Juno promised his safety, and he contacted me a little less than a fortnight ago, assuring me of this status."

"I thought the deal was 'no contact'. That's what you said the rules were."

"Well…then I must've rubbed off on him more than I thought, because he didn't follow the rules."

"…I was told the gods didn't talk to Romans," he mentioned off-handedly.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Pluto's ambassador," he claimed, though his avoiding her gaze told her otherwise. She may not have been as perceptive as the two outsiders, but she _could_ tell when someone was lying.

"…They normally don't. First time I can recall is…when Lady Juno appeared, to tell us of a coming threat and her deal. Out of the blue, for the first time in over a century…" she sighed. "What does it matter anyway?"

"…" Tempus didn't answer, and Reyna didn't press the issue. He knew not to ask about why she was acting differently, aside from a minor quip, and she figured she should return the favor by not pressing this.

Luckily for them, this was when Annabeth waltzed in. "Woo!" she had a huge grin on her face. "I can't say much for your skill, but you Romans sure know how to party!" she exclaimed. Tempus offered a soft smile back to her. Reyna was the one who caught her eye, though. "W…what's wrong?"

"…" Reyna stood and stomped over to the older girl. Without warning, she slapped Annabeth in the face. "Don't _ever_ run off on your own again!" she warned before storming out of the principia. Annabeth raised her hand to her cheek when she heard the door close.

"What…what the hell was that?" Annabeth asked herself.

Tempus shrugged. "She's big on Roman honor," he claimed. "And Romans stick with the group. Ut pugnare aut mori pro uno, and all that."

"…What?"

"Fight as one or die as one," he translated. The blond smirked.

"Looks like you've been reading ahead again," she commented, to which he shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "And what's it to her anyway? She's the one keeping so many secrets from me."

"Oh? How do you figure?"

"Oh please; don't tell me you haven't noticed too," she put a hand on her hip.

"Well, have you ever considered talking to her about it?"

"Why don't I just talk to _you_ about it?" Annabeth returned. She didn't want to admit it, but Tempus, shifty eyes aside, seemed far more trustworthy than Reyna did; something in the girl's bones told her so.

"Because I don't know all of her secrets and I haven't lied to you yet," he claimed. Annabeth wasn't sure, at first, whether to believe that statement, but his casual smile and amiable attitude swayed her into doing so.

"Alright, I will, then," she said.

"Try not to push too hard, though. You saw how she gets when she's stressed."

"I won't," Annabeth assured.

xxxXXXxxx

Reyna slept well, all things considered. She was expecting to have a nightmare, but she had nothing of the sort. Well, not while she was asleep, in any case.

It happened without warning. Reyna was a _very_ light sleeper, so the fact that she was caught off guard at all when she was awoken was impressive. Reyna only just was about to shoot up upon her sensing something amiss when a hand settled over her mouth and a dagger was held to her jugular. One of the praetor's hands was under her sheet, while the other was reaching for the emergency knife she kept on her nightstand.

"Don't move," Annabeth warned, her voice icy cold. It was such a jarring tonal shift that at first Reyna didn't recognize it. "Or I _will_ kill you. Don't move, don't scream, don't fight back, or I'll kill you. Got that?" Reyna slowly nodded, careful not to make sudden movements. Annabeth removed her hand from the girl's mouth, though kept Trident where it was. "You've been a very naughty girl, haven't you; keeping so many secrets from me was a _really_ bad idea. I may not remember much, but I remember that I don't take being left out of the loop very well."

"I don't-" Reyna started, but felt the dagger push on her skin, making it bleed a bit. "…I…I'm sorry."

Annabeth offered a smile. "Apology accepted," she said sweetly. Her expression darkened again. "Now spill everything you know about me. I want answers, and if you won't tell me, then I'll gut you now and leave to find them from somewhere else."

"Okay, okay, just…calm down. It…wasn't my call, lass. I promise."

"…Your 'promises' mean nothing, _Roman_ ," the way she said it…so filled with bitterness…

"…I'll tell you all that I know," Reyna assured. "The toothpick ain't necessary."

"No, it's not. But it suits me better to have you at a disadvantage. I can't beat you in a straight fight, so I like you vulnerable in bed with a knife at your throat. You know, where I can keep my eye on you. It would've been better if I could've tied you up too, but I figure I wouldn't have gotten away with it, so this'll have to do. Now talk."

"What…what do you want to know?"

"We'll go through your lies in turn as they come to my head. Tempus. Who is he?"

"He's…my fellow-"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"That is the truth," Reyna claimed. "In rank, he is praetor. He…he was brought here by a girl who wore a blindfold, called herself the ambassador of Pluto. He didn't tell me where he came from, only said that he wouldn't be staying forever."

"So you gave him the rank of praetor? Why?"

"To keep up another façade," Reyna said.

"The Titans?"

"No, well…it's complicated."

"Lucky for us, we've got another three hours until sunrise. Start talking! Why am I so special? Why am I an exception?"

"Because you're not Roman," Reyna stated. "You're Greek; apparently the gods have different aspects that sire different types of demigod children."

"Why can't I remember that?"

"Lady Juno said it was to get rid of any biases your memories brought. The deal was that we send someone to the Greeks and you send someone to us. You were who was sent. The lad we sent was supposed to be in the running for praetor; to avoid chaos of only having one for an extended period, I made the outsider fill the role until our lad returns."

"Then…where are the other Greeks?"

"Likely in the east," Reyna offered. Annabeth pressed the knife further. "That's…that's all I can tell you on that subject, Annabeth."

"Is that all you know, or all you're willing to tell me?"

"When you deal with pirates enough, you learn to spill your guts out long before the blade enters your body."

"…Fine. Why did you look so disturbed when you saw me?"

"Because you were the one Lady Juno spoke of; that was obvious."

"There you go _lying_ again!" Annabeth made a quick cut on her cheek before returning the dagger to the younger girl's neck. "The truth."

"…Because…because you look like…my friend, who died," Reyna choked out, finding it difficult to admit it.

"The praetor?" Annabeth questioned, her face softening upon hearing it. "I…"

"Tempus, the one whose name the outsider stole, she was a daughter of Minerva; a brilliant woman. She was the best of us and she gave it all for the glory of Rome…" Reyna managed to hold in her tears; she'd shed enough already. Annabeth watched her for a moment, and then removed her dagger.

"…It's alright to cry about death, Reyna," the older girl said, stepping away and going towards the window.

"As if you know that, lass," Reyna chuckled, sitting up. "You're an amnesiac, in case you forgot."

"Maybe, but…even if I don't remember who died…I can call back the feeling of losing them…even if I don't want to…" she said, feeling a gaping hole open up in her heart even then. "…I'm not leaving New Rome, but I guess I just threatened your life, so I'll take whatever punishment you'd give."

"That punishment would be death," Reyna said. "But we can't have that. Let us…simply not speak of it again."

The Greek smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

"Though…we both still must face punishment," Reyna said. "The cohorts were…displeased by our display during the war games. They felt cheated in many ways by my intervention and your break of cooperation that caused it. They have discussed it with me, after I left you earlier this evening. After your test, to decide your cohort, you and I will clean a portion of New Rome."

"Sounds fun," Annabeth said casually. She figured it was a mistake to treat such a thing lightly; the pain in Reyna's eyes was entirely too evident for that. "I mean…alright. When will the test be?"

"In a few days. It will be right before dinner, and our punishment will be during it. Until then, we will rest. With any luck, no more unexpected things will occur until my lad sends me more word as to the plan."

"Alright…and you're going to let me know when something comes up, aren't you?"

"Of course," Reyna assured, before pointing at the older girl. "But _don't_ get it in your head that it's because I fear you, Greek."

"Uh-huh," Annabeth waved it off.

"Now go to sleep," Reyna ordered. Annabeth nodded and exited through the door, having to unlock it first. " _Then how did she get in?"_ Reyna wondered, until she looked at the open window. The girl sighed, and slipped out of bed. Half of her expected to hear more of Jason's snapping, but she heard nothing. Before closing the door, she got a fool's hope in her. She reached out and snapped lightly with her pinky and thumbs, indicative of being unsure of whether there was danger, and indication of warning. More universally for them, it was a call that they were worried about each other and/or about themselves. Reyna closed the window and started back toward her bed.

Before she got there, her eyes drifted to the notebook, which she'd placed unopened on her desk, where it lay on top of a pile of senate hearing transcripts. Reyna sighed and sat in her chair. She picked up the notebook, staring at its cover for a moment. She'd done so too many times to count, taking in the pen strokes Tempus had used over and over, pantomiming the movements with her own hand. "Tammy…please tell me if it's the right time…" Reyna begged. "I need your guidance…please…"

Reyna found herself pulling back the cover, opening it to the first page. She'd opened it once before, shortly after Tempus' death. The first page was blank, so Reyna assumed it started somewhere in the middle, but she didn't have the courage to filter through, afraid of Tempus' true, inner-most thoughts.

Truth be told, she and Tempus never saw eye-to-eye. Reyna was usually the first to speak up when she disagreed with what the older girl had said. She was too peaceful, too soft on the Legion, at least in Reyna's opinion. Unfortunately, Jason agreed with her and thus kept Reyna's voice…not stifled, but definitely outvoted. Thankfully, at least half of the other Centurions found themselves agreeing with Reyna, and that was enough voices to sport debate within the Senate.

She didn't want to admit it, but Reyna felt like Tempus might secretly have hated her, which was…terrifying, because Reyna, despite their differences, had sort of seen the girl as her idol. She was brave and she was a survivor. Reyna was the same, and yet…they were never on the same wavelength. It was a shame…but then, Reyna's thoughts were becoming distracted.

Anyway, she expected a blank first page again, but before her eyes, writing appeared. It wrote in real-time, being written by a golden glow, which faded into regular black ink. It, seemingly, had the express intention to speaking to Reyna posthumously, written in perfect Latin and all. This first entry read as such.

"My dearest friend,

If you are reading this, then it appears my hunch was correct. As you know, when I returned from camp's latest yearly quest, I was the only one to return. If I stuck to my convictions afterward, then I will have started acting very differently than I did before my quest. I'm sure that you, of everyone at camp, won't understand and won't approve. For that, I'm sorry. I wish I had found you, all those years ago; Jay's own convictions weren't strong enough at the time to sway you from your path. And that's a shame, but what's done is done.

I am writing this notebook with the hopes of helping you understand. With any luck, much time will have passed since I've returned, and the wound of the loss of our former praetor will have mended. I hope, in turn, that this means that enough time has passed for you to have matured.

I hope you begin to understand why I changed, why I felt it necessary to change the Legion so drastically. Why I feel that Mother was wrong in her methodology. If this Mist veil was successful, then more of the notebook will reveal itself with time. You likely wonder why I've set this limit.

If I were to reveal all I thought at once, you would be distracted for days from your position, and that's something that Camp Jupiter cannot afford. Also, you're the type that needs time to digest information, if your introduction to camp was any indication.

Please understand that this is not intended to make you change, simply to make you understand. New Rome needs you, just as I felt it needed me to change. But then, I'm being hypocritical. I will leave this entry here. Please keep an eye out for future ones.

Your Tammy"

There it was…there was her signature. She signed it 'Your Tammy' as a sign of love. It was a signature reserved for those she was very, very close to. The sight brought tears to Reyna's eyes, even as she promised herself that she wouldn't.

And still, she found herself shuffling into her bed, strangely…content with Tempus' words.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, can't proofread today or really respond to reviews, so sorry in advance if I don't get to replying. To quickly answer the latest review question; Tempus' identity is supposed to be a mystery for now. Bear with me. Also, the original Tempus' notebook is going to be hugely important.**

 **Other than that, see you tomorrow!**


	24. Always Three

" _New Rome really is incredible,"_ was usually Annabeth's first conscious thought in the day. She obviously thought about things before that, but they were base things like "need food" and "fix bedhead" and "restroom time." She'd been there for over a week, participating extensively in camp activities, such as bi-nightly war games. Her day was spent exploring the entirety of the city, memorizing every nook and cranny that she could, creating a map of her own to compare to the one that was already made. It was near perfect, according to Tempus.

Speaking of the guy, Annabeth, for the life of her, couldn't get him alone. Either he was speaking with Reyna or he was learning with Octavian. When he _was_ alone, Annabeth still couldn't talk to him for more than a brief interaction before they were interrupted by a camper having a question for him or something similarly important.

Annabeth sighed. " _It's simply my destiny to never know his real name,"_ she lamented. "Hey there!" she heard behind her, to see Hazel approaching, along with Frank who was her boyfriend, Annabeth had learned. "How do you like those books I lent you?"

The older girl shrugged. "They're a bit on the simple side; it's mainly working out the words I don't know," she replied, referencing how the books were all in ancient Latin, which Annabeth didn't know how to read.

"Hm…but it _is_ odd; demigods are born with a natural inclination to Latin," Frank mentioned. "I've never heard of one who can't read it on instinct."

"Yeah well…" Annabeth hesitated. "Guess I'm an exception."

"And anyway, you're picking it up really fast anyway," Hazel assured. "I tried learning French one time, since Frank's family lives up in Montreal, and I…well, j'ai des crêpes dans ma chausette."

"Um…I'm going to assume you said 'I speak it very well'."

Hazel giggled. "Eh…close?" Frank shrugged and grinned, stifling a laugh of his own.

"Yeah, anyway, I was actually heading to the library now. I think I'm ready for more advanced reading."

"What are you focusing on? Out of curiosity?" Frank wondered.

"Eh, random stuff," she showed them what she had on her; a book on Roman myth, for obvious reasons, an AP Calculus textbook, a history of Economics, and a massive notebook of various architectural designs that have been compiled over decades, all made by a single demigod. "Aw…a man after my own heart…" she muttered, smirking as she pulled at the rim of her beanie. "I wonder if 'P' is into this stuff? He's got to be, if he's with me."

"Who?"

"The guy who gave me this hat," Annabeth explained. "I don't remember him, but we've got to be close, right? His name starts with a 'P', but that's all I've got."

"Peter?" Hazel suggested.

"Phil? Maybe…Patrick?" Frank added.

"Frank, but with a 'ph'?"

"No…not ringing a bell," the blonde shrugged again. "Oh well, I'm not really worried about it."

"Are you sure? I mean…not remembering where you came from…that's like Alzheimer's, and _that's_ scary," Frank mentioned. "My grandmother got that a while before I came here and it was tough on the whole family."

"Well, lucky for me, I don't have a family to worry."

"Sure you do, silly," Hazel grinned. "You've got all of Camp Jupiter to call your brothers and sisters."

"…I'm joining the Fifth, just so I can have someone like you to answer to," Annabeth decided.

"What? No love for the Third?" Frank wondered.

"Eh, kinda bland, not very memorable."

"Bland?"

"Oh, Reyna!" Annabeth saw the girl shuffling through the streets, heading in their direction. She looked at the group briefly, before scrunching her nose and continuing to walk without speaking. She passed the group without saying a word. "Wonder if she had too much to drink last night?"

"She doesn't get drunk, no matter how much she drinks. She says it's a curse from the gods," Frank explained briefly. "She just hasn't had her coffee yet today and/or…someone hasn't tried to punch her in the face. She says either one does the trick."

"Where's she going?"

"Probably to the Senate meeting. We're on our way there too, actually."

"Oh, is that why you're both wearing pajamas?"

"It's called a toga," Frank mentioned.

"No, it's called a bed sheet," Annabeth corrected, smirking. "And anyway, you all can have fun with that. I'm going to make my way back to the library to turn these in before he gets on you, since they were taken out in your name and all."

"Alright. Oh, and Reyna wanted me to remind you that your test is tonight," Hazel said quickly before they took off in the same direction as their praetor.

Annabeth did what she said she was going to do, turning her books in for more advanced replacements. Upon opening the books, Annabeth found that she barely understood every fourth word or so. Disheartened, she closed them. " _It's gonna be a_ long _day,"_ she thought, dreading working through each word. " _I wonder if there's anyone who has the time to help me? The Legion guys are so busy with their daily regiment…maybe one of the professors?"_ the girl shook her head. " _Too much hassle to work around their schedules. Hmm…"_

As she was so lost in thought, Annabeth didn't even notice that she'd wandered straight into the middle of the street. Not until she was tackled to the ground. Her books were sent tumbling everywhere. Coming out of her thoughts, Annabeth took a lot longer than usual to process what had happened. So long, in fact, that the other person had time to stand and offer their hand.

"Whoa there, sorry 'bout that," Tempus said.

"Oh, it's no big deal," she took his hand and let herself be hoisted back up to her feet, where they both dropped into a crouch to pick up the books. "I should've been paying more attention," she said, not really thinking much about it. Then she did. "Then again, so should you."

Tempus scratched the back of his head. He had a huge grin on his face. "Yeah, you got me. I definitely _wanted_ to run into you!" he laughed. The daughter of Athena giggled.

"Alright, fine…I guess that's a silly thing to think," she admitted. In the back of her head, she urged herself to drill him for information, but…that carefree smile, that laid-back posture. The vibe he gave off made it feel so much like she was already familiar with him. So instead, she looked to his attire. "You've…got a toga on. Senate meeting? I saw some of the others heading over there a while ago."

"Yeah, well. I'm late," he shrugged. "Whatever."

Annabeth put a hand on her hip. "You'd better watch your back or Reyna will cut off all four of your cheeks," she warned.

Tempus laughed again. "Yeah, maybe…" he said. The two stood there for another moment. "Hey, why don't you and I get some coffee later?"

" _Yes! Perfect!"_ Annabeth grinned and nodded. "Sure!" she said, a little too excitedly. Then she realized she'd been over-eager, and cleared her throat. "I mean, sure. But just as friends."

"Of course," he assured. "I heard about your forgotten love, or maybe a past love, and far be it from me to butt in when we don't even know the situation."

"Cool…just, you know. Just so we're clear on that. Um…I've got that stupid thing tonight. How about…sometime later this week?"

Tempus' grin faded into a warm smile. "Sounds good to me."

Annabeth nodded again. "Alright," she shoved him toward the Senate building. "Now go, before your the pirate has an aneurism."

"An amnesiac should _not_ know what an aneurism is after only four days having access to books."

"Go!" Annabeth pushed him again, and he started jogging down the street again. She silently cursed herself for not even trying to get any information out of him, but then was comforted knowing that she'd have a whole afternoon to do so within a few days. Still, the conversation wasn't a total waste of time. "…You'd think Octavian would have him working…oh, Octavian!" Annabeth's eyes lit up as she made her way to the principia, where he'd likely be. "He can teach me!"

xxxXXXxxx

Tempus walked into the Senate building with the meeting already underway. The various Centurions and stand-alone Senators were duking it out over issues, while Reyna was sitting quietly at the head of the table, straight but tired. A coffee was sealed into her hand, permanently resting on her lips. Occasionally, she would tilt it up so she could drink some.

Tempus took his place as silently as possible so he wouldn't have to be dragged into the argument. He looked on his part of the table, where a neatly stacked pile of issues plaguing the Legion were present. Beside it was a smaller pile of issues pertaining to the whole of camp. Senate meetings were usually an all-day event. They lasted from around ten in the morning, all the way until dinner. Reyna informed him that when the original Tempus was still around, that Senate meetings happened at least four times a week, because of her calling for so many changes that needed to be debated. Now, though, it'd be surprising to have one every week. It's only set in stone to occur once a month.

"Which one are they discussing?" Tempus wondered, rifling through the thicker stack. He counted forty-six separate issues, though, from his skim, there were at least five repeats from two or more groups of Legionnaires voicing the same concern.

"Other pile, second from the top," she mumbled, barely awake.

Tempus made a mental note of her excessively tired state. "…You've been getting like this a lot more often. Anything you want to share?"

"Not with you," she said, taking another sip of her drink. Tempus stared at her for a minute, and she stared back, raising her eyebrows as if challenging him to question further. Instead, he turned back to the meeting at hand, reading the description of the issue.

"On the issue of education; should Legionnaires be required to pursue post-graduation schooling? In short; required school like required years of service?" he read to himself. "But…The College of Rome doesn't even charge, does it?"

"The problem is that some people want to stay in the Legion without schooling," Reyna said. "This would force them to break off and then have to reenter from the bottom."

"Can't we change it to where they retain their position?" he wondered. Reyna shook her head, indicating either that she didn't know, or she was too tired to care at this point in the day. Tempus found himself agreeing with her sentiment. He ended up nearly "vegging out" for most of the time, silently begging for it to just end.

Then, near the end of the day, after they'd gone through the whole of the smaller stack and about a fifth of the larger one, they came to general reminders and discussions on logistics.

Reyna had woken up more throughout the day, while Tempus had only grown more tired. She stood, indicating that she wished to speak uninterrupted. "Brothers and sisters, it's become a new year once again," she said. Tempus couldn't decide if her tone was triumphant or grim. "We must soon take part in our yearly quest, to retrieve a lost Roman artifact."

She said 'soon', but there have been years where the quest had taken place in November. Unfortunately, they, from the beginning of the year, had to be prepared.

Uncomfortable murmurs filtered through the small crowd of demigods. "…Who do we send this year?" Hazel piped up. She was the most optimistic of them.

"Always three," Nathan said. "Never more, never less, not unless you want failure."

"Maybe we should give it to the newcomer?"

Near unanimous disagreement rose to that idea. It wouldn't be fair to the members of the Legion who'd been waiting for the chance to prove themselves.

"Perhaps an exceptionally talented probatio?" Frank suggested. "That's how I got started."

Murmurs of agreement rose. "Peace, lads and lasses," Reyna said. "Let us wait for a sign. If none comes, _then_ we can begin this debate. I was meaning to remind you, is all. Does anyone else have anything to say?" no one spoke up. "Then, this meeting is adjourned. Clear the deck quickly; I'm hungry for grub and I figure you are too! Don't forget your papers; remember to meet with your cohort after dinner to relay what we went over," she called after them as they filed out.

Tempus found himself amused. "You sound like a bad museum tour guide," he commented. She glared at him, but then softened a bit. "What? No smart remark?"

"Not today," she said, taking a deep breath. She picked up her own papers and her coffee cup, throwing it away on the way out, where Tempus followed. "…You've figured it out, haven't you? About the new lass?"

"You mean that she's Greek? I thought that was pretty obvious, don't you?" he replied, shrugging.

"She's too independent."

"Well…she's certainly adventurous," Tempus mentioned. "Then again, she's never had a problem with trying new things. She considered it an 'essential skill'."

This piqued Reyna's interest. "Your talk makes it sound like you knew her before," she commented, seeing his jaw tighten at the mention. "…You don't have to tell me everything," she assured. "I ask only for relevant information, outsider."

"…Thanks. Guess my lying game was never very good, at least, not after…" he trailed off. Or, no, he didn't trail off, he just spoke to fast for Reyna to hear, literally. In fact, it appeared he'd moved ahead of her in the blink of an eye. One second, he was walking beside her, the next, he was waiting for her a hundred feet down the road.

" _Another mystery…"_ the girl lamented, quickly catching up.

"Sorry about that," Tempus said. "I promise that I'll explain everything eventually."

"You'd better, or I'll send you to walk the damn plank," she mumbled, frustrated more so than angry. The two moved past it, and continued making their way back to the principia.

xxxXXXxxx

"Oh!" Annabeth pointed to the whiteboard. "So…okay, so I was just missing the conjugation."

"Exactly," Octavian said, grinning.

"Oh gods, it all makes so much more _sense_ now!"

"I'm glad I could help you, Annabeth," he said meekly. "Though, you probably could've asked Hazel or Leila and they would've helped too…"

"Nah, I like you more, and this gives us something to work on."

Octavian cocked his head. "Work on? Not talk about?"

"Well, children of wisdom like us need to keep our brains going somehow, and talking just doesn't cut it sometimes," she grinned.

"You…you knew I was a son of…Minerva?"

"Yep! We've got the same eyes, though _I've_ got better hair," she waved it around and took in in her hands. Octavian looked away.

"…I've seen better…" he muttered.

"Hm? Whose is better?" she said, trying to get him to face her. He continued to avoid her gaze.

"My…sister…who died…" he said quietly. And just like that, the mood in the room had changed.

Annabeth blinked. "If I had to guess…I'd say your sister was Tempus. The real one?" Octavian seemed shocked at the guess.

"H-how did you…no one should even remember her. How did you know she-"

"Reyna told me," Annabeth said bluntly.

"I heard my name," they heard as the door opened and the praetors entered. "I hope you aren't spreading rumors."

The Greek shook her head innocently. "Me, spread rumors? Don't even humor the thought."

Octavian stood suddenly. "May I speak to you privately?" he asked Reyna. A bit startled at the request, she nodded. The two exited the building, despite the chilly night air. That left Tempus, the fake, and Annabeth to awkwardly have to hear their hushed voices through the crack in the door. It was almost impossible for their senses _not_ to hear them. "You can't tell me you have not noticed," Octavian whispered, sounding strangely freaked out. "They're unnatural, the both of them."

"I know, but bear with it. You'll get used to it. You know what the girl is; you know how important it is that we make her feel welcome."

"Feeling welcome is one thing, but _you_ are coddling her," Octavian accused, in an uncharacteristic act of…well, actually calling people out. "As your advisor, I have to _strongly_ recommend that you distance yourself from the girl, at least. She's too curious, too perceptive, like my sister."

"Listen…I get that this is difficult for you, lad. I was shocked the first time I saw her too. Just…remind yourself that they're not the same person occasionally."

"That's not the point!" the boy's voice rose slightly, before being quieted again. "It's nothing to do with me. I just…I'm worried; they'll…find something. I know they will. They'll find something they don't like, that they don't understand. The _point_ is that we don't know nearly enough to be doing this."

"And yet we are," she reminded him. "So, we have to adapt. She's already here, both of them are."

"But…"

"Listen, lad…I have to apologize for not including you in the decision, for only telling you after the fact. I know it was a mistake. I know I'm forcing you to go against your nature and trust something outside of Roman law, but I _know_ that this is the right thing to do. After the Titans…I had to make sure we would be prepared. I can't have a repeat. I _know_ you can understand that, at least."

"I…I do…" he admitted, though he sounded reluctant to do so. "…I still don't trust them."

"I struggle to do that myself," Reyna said, the tone of her voice shifting slightly. "But…sometimes the best thing to do is to bring a spring upon her cable, and just…list in the opposite direction."

"I don't understand."

"…" Reyna didn't respond at first. "Octavian. I don't know what you want me to do or say," she admitted. "But I'm trying…so just bear with me, okay?"

"I…alright," he agreed. "Just…don't act like…this…in front of the Legion, okay?" he said. Then they heard footsteps as he walked away. It took a moment for Reyna to reenter. When she did, they both saw that her eyes had become slightly more bloodshot and her expression was distant.

"So…dinner?" Annabeth wondered. Reyna shook her head.

"We don't get dinner, remember?" the praetor reminded. Annabeth nodded. "It's nearing time for your test, which has been decided by the different cohorts. I will go gather them. I will referee."

"And that's all you'll be doing this time?" Annabeth wondered. Reyna shot her a glare, but kept silent as she took her leave.

"…" Tempus was quiet the whole time.

"…I wonder if she was thinking about Tempus…" Annabeth wondered. "…The real one?"

"Oh, you know about that?" he wondered. "…Yeah, it's possible."

"She…cried, I think."

Tempus shrugged. "Eh, she looked pretty tired this morning, even more so than usual. Part of her emotion could be sleep deprivation," he suggested. "I may not have been around for very long before you, but I know she's usually more strong-willed, in regards to her heart, than she's been displaying lately."

Annabeth nodded. "Well, I'll have to take your word for it. And ruling a whole military unit alone must be pretty difficult."

"Excuse me? She's got me."

"Yeah, the guy who can't read Latin."

"…Octavian showed my learning papers, hasn't he?"

"They weren't very useful in translation," she claimed. Tempus sighed.

"Whatever. Let's get going; it won't take long for them to set up."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, world-building is fun, isn't it? Slight apologies for the lack of action in this and the last chapter. The book gave me nothing to work with, and the quest largely sucked, so I wanted to take the time to flesh out the world and character just a bit more than the book did.**

 **Anyhoo, if you're wondering what Hazel said at the beginning, in French, she said "I have pancakes in my sock". I took two years of high school French, and I can't tell you whether or not that was a completely accurate translation lol**

 **But with that, I'll see you guys tomorrow!**


	25. Are You So Blind

Annabeth soon found that the "test" was going to just be a race. Granted, it wasn't a traditional race, but that's not what Annabeth gathered from the straight tracks and barricades that led along a straight path into the city from Temple Hill.

She saw a good fifteen people stretching, including both Nathan and Hazel. Frank was on the sidelines. " _Good; I couldn't punch a face that cuddly,"_ Annabeth thought, even before she heard the rules.

Within minutes of their arrival, Reyna had quieted those that were gathered. "Brothers and sisters. We have an unusual event for you tonight, before our feast. This newcomer believes she has the right to choose which cohort she belongs to. And she very well may have that right, but she has to earn it!" she called loudly. "The rules are simple. A race from here to the other side of the Field of Mars. Whoever wins the race, they get the newcomer. If she wins, then she decides," she announced to roars of challenge coming from each cohort in turn. "Though this is no ordinary jog. All war games rules are in effect; use whatever tactic you so desire to win; weapons are allowed, armor is allowed, and all runners are required to wear at least a helmet. There will be no grievous injuries, dismemberment or brain trauma. No exceptions. I will observe, and the rest of you will be my witnesses," her gaze darted to Annabeth, who was staring at her expectantly. "And no, I refuse to aid her in this trial. No surprises, and no exceptions to the rules. Any questions?"

At first, no one did, and the excitement stirred. "I've got one," Tempus called from beside the Greek. Eyes turned to him. "Can I join in?"

"…Why?" Annabeth wondered.

"Give me a reason and I may consider it."

"Because you're got your retainer in Octavian. I think I want one too."

"Hey, I'm not an object," Annabeth glared.

"Never said you were," Tempus said. "But I could use a good sprint anyway."

She found herself smirking, though she knew she should have been angrier. The rest of the Legion didn't seem to know what to make of this. It seemed like they were having difficulty judging whether or not it would be unfair. " _More evidence to the fact that he's new; they have no idea what to make of him either,"_ she thought, silently wondering about the intricacies of how the Mist messed with their heads.

Reyna gave the man a hard stare for a moment, before nodding. "I'll allow it. But I'm putting a handicap on you; no weapons, no armor, even a helmet."

"Fine by me; I don't use weapons anyway."

Annabeth considered that for a moment. "…I'll take no weapons too," she announced, tossing her dagger to Reyna. "And I'll go with just a helmet."

There was a wave of shock that went through the crowd. How arrogant did this newcomer have to be to assume that that was all she needed, and especially when going up against multiple trained centurions and a praetor?

"…Aye, but that's your choice, lass," Reyna said., as if already writing her off. "You running lot, to the start line!" she commanded, and everyone obeyed.

"You seem pretty confident, newcomer," Tempus mentioned.

"Right back at you, newcomer," she returned, saying the last part under her breath so as not to ruin to ruse. "It…is a secret that you're new, right?"

"Yes, it is. But even if you tell people, they probably won't believe you with the Mist veil and all."

Soon, everyone was in their places, and doing any final stretches. Then, they all got ready to dash. As they did so, Annabeth made a quick mental note of who she was up against; at least one centurion from each cohort, along with several others from the First, Second, and Fifth. Reyna didn't mention a member limit, so Annabeth could only assume the Third and Fourth didn't want her too badly.

Then there was Tempus, who Annabeth realized she could've interrogated him when they were alone at the principia, but the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Apart from that, she knew she had to weary; the degree of his confidence was astounding, especially given that he _was_ new to Camp Jupiter, meaning he probably only knew a bit more about the others' capabilities than Annabeth did. " _Who is he…?"_ she thought. " _I_ know _I've met him before…somewhere…."_

"On your marks!" Reyna's call shook her out of her thoughts. Annabeth's mind returned to the matter at hand. She figured that at least of few people would try and grab her, keep her down. Nathan, at least, knew she was a threat, so it was likely that he would order his Legionnaires to do something dirty like that. Then again, she didn't plan on playing fair either. "Get set!" Annabeth's gaze once again returned to Tempus, whose eyes were focused ahead of him. His breathing was deep, in and out through the mouth; _he_ was going to sprint. With how long his legs were, she expected him to push ahead pretty far. She wondered if it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and hitch a ride, so to speak, by grabbing his arm and forcing him to drag her along with him. She ultimately decided against it; if he were half a good as he boasted, he would be expecting something like that. The Greek faced forward. "Go!"

She let out a quick breath as her adrenaline flared. " _Run. Run as fast as you can!"_ she broke into a run, but wasn't expecting a massive dust cloud to choke her immediately.

She ran through as fast she could, and once she was through, she saw Tempus racing ahead of her, leading her by at least ten yards within Annabeth's first couple of strides.

She didn't have time to linger on him, though, as her suspicions came true. She had to leap and dive over several Legionnaires attempting to hold her and the other centurions down. Within the initial chaos, Annabeth felt her arms be nicked in several areas, but she hardly felt it as she pounded down the path, hearing the chaos behind her.

Several sets of feet kept pace with her, namely Hazel, who was surprisingly swift for her size, Nathan, of course, and Michael, from the Third. The three veered closer to her. " _Of course they'd try and stop me,"_ she thought, rolling her eyes. She peered ahead, seeing that Tempus had slowed down about thirty yards past them. He was jogging backwards, watching her, as if saying "I'm bored; give me a show." She glared when she figured out what he was doing; toying with her. Then Nathan brushed up against her, trying to trip her up. " _Focus on the goal,"_ she reminded herself. She tried to move away from him, but Michael boxed her in from the other side, with Hazel bringing up the rear. " _Formation; did they practice? Or is that just their tendency?"_ she found herself wondering. Either way, it was bad news for her.

She could stop and quickly take out Hazel, but then she'd have to push herself even harder to catch up to the other two, and then have to deal with them. She glanced behind her, seeing that the way was clear; no dust. She looked down, seeing, and feeling, gravel behind her. Annabeth had to duck under a sword stab from Michael, which was sent toward Nathan, who'd blocked it with a shield he'd brought. Hazel was slowly catching up, and would soon be in range to use her cavalry sword.

To try an idea, Annabeth dove forward and to the right. Their reaction was predictable; they retained their formation around her. It was getting tighter, and would soon be close enough to destroy her, but its pace was dictated entirely by Annabeth, and she could use that. Truth be told, the others weren't far behind her, including those of the First and Second, so if she could…

Annabeth slowed down slightly, and they did with her. Within enough time…Hazel was already in range with her sword. Annabeth had to briefly slow down even more, allowing the other two to push ahead slightly, to ward off Hazel's blow with a careful palm onto its flat. Thankfully, the action was just enough to allow the others to catch up. Annabeth sprinted ahead, while Hazel was left to deal with the Legionnaires.

By this point, they'd entered the city. The path made a ninety-degree turn to the left in its center, and from there was a straight path through the Field of Mars. She pounded across the dry, cold dirt of the road; they charged straight down it, rather than on the paved walkways on the sides.

If she kept up this pace, she'd reach them just as they all had to turn. She formulated a rudimentary plan with no backup, because she didn't have the time to think of one. Thankfully, her plan worked out perfectly.

She made a final push, her center of gravity low. She scooped up dirt and gravel and dust, and pounded between the two as they reached the corner. They both tried to trip her up, but she avoided their attempts, and threw her piles of dust into their faces. This was so unexpected that they stopped in their tracks and coughed up a lung, allowing Annabeth to take a huge lead. Well, aside from Tempus, who was clapping ahead of her. He slowed down further, allowing her to catch up.

"Nice trick," he commented.

"Go away," she ordered, her heart pounding in her chest. "You cheated."

"How so? Just because I'm the son of Mercury, god of the most awesome runners."

"Yeah, I'd count that as cheating anyway. You knew you'd win, so where's the fun?"

"The fun is in seeing you deal with stuff like that," he said before sprinting far ahead again. Annabeth quickly whirled around, having to slide under an attack by Hazel, who had caught up. She was the last person who was keeping pace. Nathan was with the majority of the others, and Michael was still at the turning point.

"Sorry, I was aiming for him," she claimed. The two girls kept pace with each other. Tempus remained ahead, though not nearly as far as last time. "You wanna team up on him?" Hazel wondered, remembering that Annabeth already said she'd join the Fifth if she was successful in the test; at this point, it was a race to stop Tempus. Annabeth considered it for a moment. Then she took off her helmet.

Without warning, she slashed it across the ground in front of her, sending up, in the dirt, a huge storm of dust. Hazel stopped momentarily, taking in what that meant. "Alright, fine; have it your way!" she called in the cloud. She saw someone approach. "Sorry about this!"

Hazel stabbed where Annabeth's leg should've been, but instead, she hit cloth, having impaled her shirt only. Hazel heard footsteps behind her, and as soon as she turned, Annabeth let loose a punch with all of her might, her helmet in her other hand. The punch followed through, shooting Hazel into the ground as Annabeth kept running. " _No, I don't want your help; I want to win this alone,"_ she thought resolutely. For a brief moment, though, she didn't see how she would accomplish this task.

Tempus was ahead of her, looking to be about to do a final sprint, as the goal was in sight. Annabeth glared him, steadying her heartrate.

The praetor turned back briefly, so sure of his victory. The last thing he expected was to see a rogue Roman infantry helmet careening towards his face. Time stopped for him, literally. _"…Do I avoid it? Do I go ahead and win?"_ he asked himself. He chuckled. " _Nah…she deserves a win for this,"_ he decided, reactivating time just as the helmet collided with his cheek, sending him spiraling to the ground. He pretended to act unconscious from the blow; best not to reveal how durable he was.

Annabeth put her hand on her hip triumphantly. "Yeah! Stee-rike!" she exclaimed happily, before hearing the charging parade of runners behind her. She jumped slightly, before running across the finish line alone. Reyna landed alongside her as they waited for the others to catch up. By the time they did, Annabeth was shaking from the cold. "C-can I-I have a s-shirt?" he asked as she pulled her beanie down more to cover her ears and shroud a bit of her eyes. Tempus removed his jacket and handed it to her, which she accepted gratefully. "Thank you."

"Careful; it's not like the gods make it easy and warm for us here," Tempus reminded. "You should probably dress warmer."

"Brothers and sisters, the newcomer has come out victorious!" she called, though her gusto sounded forced. Annabeth guessed that she didn't approve of her tactics, like she didn't during the war games. "Annabeth," she addressed the older girl. "You've earned this right; where would you like to belong?"

She looked around to the different Centurions who were staring at her expectantly. Part of her wanted to refuse the decision and let them fight; that way it wouldn't be _her_ that was disappointing them. She noted that Hazel was absent, but didn't think much of it at the time. She found out later than she was sent to the infirmary for a broken nose and mild concussion, which Annabeth felt bad about.

Then she looked to Tempus, who didn't seem to care either way. " _Strange, he said he wanted me as a retainer before. Now he doesn't seem to care either way…"_

She pointed at him. "You. I pick you," she announced. "But the roles will be reversed. You're _my_ retainer."

Looks of shock, awe, and anger lay upon her after she said that. "Who does she think she is?"

"Is that even allowed?"

"He's a praetor, not a dog."

"She's technically probatio, right?"

Reyna looked the angriest. "That wasn't one of the options, newcomer," she growled, her anger warding off those around her. "Choose something else."

Annabeth stood her ground. "I won't. You said I earned the right to choose, right? Roman law dictates that you must respect my choice, especially when you didn't specifically state that I had to choose one of your options."

Reyna's face turned red like a tomato, but she nodded. More shocked murmurs ran through the crowd. "…I'll allow this…but for talking back to your praetor, you're assigned to clean-up for the next two months."

"What? What about food?"

"Fill up in the morning," she said coldly. "As for the rest of you; you know where we eat. Off with you!"

Tempus put a hand on Annabeth's shoulder and mouthed 'good luck', before going with the rest of the Legion to preside over dinner. Reyna and Annabeth stayed behind, the former slipping off of her mount and sending her flying off. They stood there for a moment, Annabeth avoiding Reyna's death glare. "So, uh…where are the shovels?" she asked nervously. She wasn't afraid of Reyna, but…this kind of hostility wasn't an easy thing to shake from when dealing with anyone.

"Do you have a death wish, you daft wench?" she questioned. "You _can't_ keep going around making such rash proclamations."

"Who says?"

"I do!" Reyna snapped, storming up to her and getting into the older girl's face. "And _stop_ talking back to me! This is the part where you shut your pretty trap!" The Greek set her jaw. She could feel Reyna's breath on her lips. It smelled of sakura. "I'm trying my damnedest to keep you alive, but if you push any further, than it would be a grievous disservice to Rome itself not to have you executed!"

She stepped back and took a deep breath, trying in vain to calm herself. She did several things to help this, all to no avail. She rubbed her temples, looked to the calm sky, rubbed the bags under her eyes, generally refused to look at Annabeth for the rest of the night.

Once she figured she was alright to continue, Reyna started walking. "Follow," she ordered. Annabeth trailed behind her. They went to a small storehouse, where Reyna picked up two shovels. She handed it to Annabeth as she walked past, not looking at her, leading her to a part of the city that she hadn't been to before, the destroyed part that Annabeth had spotted on her first day.

She saw a mechanism that was used to haul gathered rubble into canisters to be disposed of, though they weren't being operated at the time. Reyna started digging. "…How long do I have to do this?" Annabeth wondered.

"Until I say."

Seeing that she didn't want to talk, Annabeth kept her mouth shut and started digging. Within two hours, as the sun had long since set and the moon shone on them, they hadn't made much progress. This was a hundred men's worth of work, at least. With two people, Annabeth hadn't expected to make much of a dent in the pile.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, getting tried to being so silent the whole time. "…If it's really that bad, I'll take it back."

"…The Senate will discuss it later…" Reyna said quietly, still not facing the older girl. An awkward silence followed, before Reyna sighed and stopped working for a moment. "…Why do you insist upon going against every one of our rules?" she asked.

"Mm, impulsiveness," she claimed. "Or maybe your rules are just stupid. Maybe don't try so hard to keep me under your foot."

"I'm trying to keep you where I can see you," Reyna argued.

"And why do you need to do that?" The younger girl didn't respond, just started digging again. "Oh okay, just shut me out again. Fine, I'll find out some _other_ way," she said, frustrated. She was about to continue working when Reyna spoke.

"…Are you so blind?" she asked. Her voice was shaky, as if threatening to break. "…I don't keep you out of Rome's affairs, only my own. You've no _right_ to demand this answer."

"…You're tired," Annabeth said. "You need sleep, even Tempus said so."

"Don't!" she snapped. "Don't…say that name…not now…I don't care what you say, or what you do, lass. I only ask one thing of you; draw breath and continue doing so. You wonder why I find trouble in your independence. My answer is that I know where that path leads…all too well, I know where it leads…"

"Listen…I'm sorry about your friend, but…I'm not her," Annabeth assured.

Reyna looked at her briefly, before turning away again. "You're right…you're not…because she at least knew she was heading down a self-destructive path."

And with that, no more words were spoken between them. At some point Reyna had deemed that they had done enough took Annabeth's shovel before leaving her. With nowhere else to go, Annabeth returned to the principia, where she found Octavian and Tempus asleep. She went to her room as well, and heard Reyna shuffle in soon after.

Reyna wanted to sleep, but her eyes wouldn't stay shut. She'd wanted to sleep for so many nights, but she usually only succeeded as the sun was beginning to rise. That notebook had destroyed her schedule, as she loomed over it constantly, waiting for Tempus' next entry. She didn't want it tonight, and so, she received it.

Reyna, in an act that had become ritual over the past few days and would continue to do so in the coming ones, flipped to the next open page and waited for a few seconds. She expected nothing to appear, as had happened every night since she received her first message. This night, however, Tempus spoke to her. Her next entry said as such:

"My dearest friend,

I realize I left it ambiguous as to my own fate in my last entry. This is because I don't know it, as most don't. But whatever may happen, I know that I will no longer be praetor, and I will have left Camp Jupiter in one way or another. I hope that it was on somewhat amiable terms. With any luck, after you finish reading, you will be able to contact me for clarification, should you need it.

With that out of the way, I want to move on to what concerns you; yourself. When you first arrived at camp, I resented you. I'm willing to admit that. I would go further and say that those feelings are still there inside me, as of the time of this writing. Your sister, for what brief time she stayed here before leaving, told me of your journey to camp, all the way back to that cursed island. She told me of how you managed to slay the greatest pirate the mortal world had ever known at a mere thirteen years of age, with no proper training.

It wouldn't be fair for me to pass judgement on the difficulty and stress of your encounter, as I'm sure most of camp had has a similar experience with their first monster. Yours just happened to be with one of the mortal world's best, instead of one of the immortal world's worst. I want to come back to my thoughts on what it says about you, but for now, I simply acknowledge it.

I'll say it again; I didn't like you one bit when you first arrived. You were loud, reckless, and worst of all, arrogant. That arrogance got you into quite a bit of trouble in your first year or so. Even as soon as you made Centurion, your cohort was saying you would become a praetor soon. I suspect they thought this, not for any of your leadership ability, though you possess quite a bit of it, but rather because you do so poorly as a follower. Your only mode of operations was as the boss, which is fine if it was tempered properly, which I hope I was able to do; gods know I've given you enough to fight against to temper your skills as a leader.

And with that, I will disclose a secret, a secret between Mother and I. You may choose to skip over this, as I know how much you respect her and wish to retain her integrity. I would understand if you did so. These next two paragraphs which detail that secret will conclude this entry, if you wish to stop now.

Mother came to me personally when you were brought to us. I'm sure you recall when you were appraised by dear Octavian, instead of just the gods answering his call, Mother howled once for you. She blessed you, and I didn't understand. Thankfully, I wouldn't have to wonder for very long, as Mother contacted me, as praetor.

She said that I was to help you along; that you were to be my responsibility alone. She said to temper you into Rome's greatest weapon. I assume she foresaw you aiding Camp Jupiter a great deal, for her to tell that to me. If she saw that, then did she also see that my fellow praetor wouldn't return from our quest, and thus she left it to me? And if that was the case, was I still her first choice? It's unlikely, given how far I've strayed from her ideals.

But with that, I will leave you again.

Your Tammy"

Reyna read the entire thing several times, feeling much less satisfied than with the first. The several instances of irony didn't sit right with the daughter of Bellona. The bit about Mother didn't bother her and she was no stranger to rumors of a praetor in the making. She basked in the glory of praise and compliments; to have that from Mother was even better.

No, what bothered her was the implication, that Tempus had had to give her special treatment. It brought into question whether she had thought the changes to Camp Jupiter were for the best, or if they were political fodder for Reyna to fight against. She prayed to the gods that it was the former; that Tempus had truly believed in those alterations, instead of senselessly fighting for them.

Reyna slipped into bed then, no closer to sleep than when she entered her room.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So fun fact: you can have the entirety of _The Lord of the Flies_ read to you, in audiobook form, within a single 7.5 hour work shift. Which I did today...yeah.**

 **Another fun fact: this is in contention as my favorite chapter within this adaptation, tied with chapter 28. It just has, imo, a good action sequence mixed with a huge amount of character. I'm happier with this version of the chapter than the one I originally wrote, where the scene where the two girls are digging went on a lot longer and they bickered like catty bitches for like three pages. This is one is short, sweet, and to the point; kind of a mantra in how I write.**

 **Anyhoo, enough about my thoughts; why don't you share yours in a review?**


	26. If You Earn It

"Ugh, I'm _so_ hungry…" Annabeth complained, her head resting on the table she was sharing with Tempus. The man chuckled as he sipped his coffee. Annabeth didn't get any, settling on water instead.

"I can tell. If you want, I could try and sneak you some food. What do you say?" he offered, not thinking much of it.

"No…I need to gain Reyna's trust again…if I ever had it to begin with…" she said. Tempus shrugged and continued sipping his coffee. "Not much for Roman honor, are you?"

"Well, I _am_ a son of the god of thieves."

Annabeth frowned. "Mercury is more the god of travelers and commerce, unlike Hermes. Guess you're not much for Roman tradition either."

"Guess not. Honestly, I was expecting you to grill me about it by now."

"Well, I would've if you weren't so elusive around camp. I was…actually hoping we could talk about it here?"

"By all means," Tempus said, gesturing for her to ask. "Though I have to warn you…I can't tell you much; I made a promise not to reveal myself to you, not until you remember."

"Well, you already informed me that I knew you before I came here," she noted, to which he flinched. "Reyna told me that you're an outsider, like me. Does that mean you're Greek? It'd make sense," she wondered.

"Yeah, actually. Though…perhaps not anymore."

"Oh?"

"The gods…they're a troublesome lot. Pluto's ambassador, the girl with the blindfold, had been introduced here before either of us came. When she retrieved me…she asked me where I wanted to go until I was needed. I told her I wanted to go to where the gods wouldn't speak. She brought me here."

"Why? The gods seem pretty active in their lives."

"Not compared to the Greeks. Zeus, sorry, Jupiter may answer of son of wisdom's call to welcome new campers, but other than that, the gods haven't spoken to their Roman children since the 1860s."

"That's the time of the American Civil War," Annabeth noted. "Why then?"

"Because it wasn't just between North and South, but East and West as well, in a sense. The Greek and Roman demigods fought it out as the mortals fought their war. Long story short, the Greeks won, and the balance between the gods' two aspects was shattered. The only reason Camp Jupiter has survived all of this time is because they have a much better survival rate than the Greeks."

"…That seems off. Why doesn't anybody else talk about them?"

"Because of the Mist. After the conflict, the gods forcibly separated us and made us forget the other existed. Only now, in response to a threat much greater than themselves, have the gods elected to reunite us. Bad blood still brews, however. That's why Hera and her Roman aspect chose to have Greeks and Romans meet so discreetly," he expounded.

"So…Greeks are better?"

"Way better," he assured. "I saw firsthand how effective you guys were."

"Awesome…you know, it's weird. I feel like…I can trust you, you know? Like, I couldn't talk about this to Reyna or Octavian or Hazel or someone like that," she said looking out to the city. "This place…feels foreign. It's nice to know I've got someone here who's on my side."

She turned back, but saw him staring down at the table, avoiding her gaze, and her praise. "…You shouldn't trust me," he mumbled.

"Oh please," she waved it off. "You're not gonna be like 'this was a mistake' and then leave, are you?"

Tempus blinked. "N-no, of course not," he assured. "But…" sighed. "It's been a tough ride, alright? I'm still…trying to cope…"

"…The Titans?" Annabeth guessed. The man nodded, still not meeting her gaze.

"Truth be told, I don't think I even want you to remember me."

The daughter of Athena offered a smile. "Come on, what could you have possibly done?" He shook his head.

"…I can't tell you."

"Oh, well, um…" the two sat around awkwardly for a minute. "Then…can you tell me your name? Your real one?"

"…"

"I'm, uh…guessing that's also a no-go?"

"Look, I'm really sorry I can't be more helpful. Oaths and promises…they're my fatal flaw; I'm bound to keep them."

"Fatal flaw? What's that?" Annabeth wondered. Tempus didn't get a chance to answer before the bell rang, signaling dinner.

"Another time," he said as he stood.

"W-wait, but-"

"You know where to go. I'm sorry," he said before taking his abrupt leave. Annabeth was left confused and slightly frustrated.

"Fatal flaw…?" she wondered.

xxxXXXxxx

Despite her hunger, Annabeth had found that she was getting used to the labor. She got her shovel and went to work, hearing the distant sounds of the feast. The smell filtered into her nose, its intoxicating bouquet making her stomach growl. "Mm…just hang in there," she said to herself. "You'll be asleep soon, and then it's breakfast first thing."

"Here," she heard. She turned and had to catch an apple. Reyna was there, a shovel over her shoulder. "Eat."

Reyna began digging without a word of explanation. "But…you don't…I can't…" Annabeth struggled to find the words. "I'm keeping to my punishment," she said, setting the apple on the ground. "And you shouldn't be here."

"Quiet," she ordered, straight-faced. "We've a lot of ground to cover tonight, lass. Let's get it done," she said. Annabeth nodded and started digging up the rubble.

"…Any particular reason you're helping me tonight?"

"Because you were partially right. I _was_ tired. I was becoming too emotional too often. For that, you have my sincerest apology; that isn't Rome's welcome."

"O-oh, well-"

"I wasn't finished. I bring news. Today, the Senate met to discuss your decision. It was decided by but one vote; they've agreed to your request; Tempus is your retainer, with the caveat that it cannot interfere with his duties as praetor."

"Fair enough," she conceded. "I'm…sorry about the other day. I was…petulant."

"Yes, you were," Reyna agreed. "But I wouldn't expect anything less…from a Greek."

Annabeth looked at her to see her smirking. "Oh, is that how it's gonna be?"

"Oh, that's gonna be how it's gonna be."

"Alright, fine. Whoever clears the least rubble tonight has to do all of tomorrow's work. Deal?"

"You're on, lass."

With that, the work went smoothly, albeit competitively. "Man, what the hell even caused this?" Annabeth found herself questioning, wiping sweat from her brow. "I mean, I know the Titans attacked and all, but this seems a little excessive."

"It wasn't the Titans," Reyna said.

"Then what happened?"

"My lad, Jason. He…he lost control of his powers."

"And he did this? How powerful is he?"

"He's the strongest demigod I've ever known," Reyna stated.

"Damn…so, where is he now?"

"He was the one sent over to the Greeks," she explained. "He's…a good lad; I'm sure they like him. Honestly, he was probably the most Greek out of all of us."

"…Wonder if I'm the most Roman of all of the Greeks…" Annabeth muttered.

"I hope not. If so, then we'd have a wee little problem; you're _barely_ tolerable as it is."

"Pft, whatever," Annabeth continued digging. "So…on the subject on Jason, what do you think you'll do when you see him again?"

Reyna thought about it for a second. "…Probably kiss him," she answered. Annabeth was almost going to say that would be uncharacteristic, before she changed her mind. "No, never mind, I'll punch him for making me wait so long…" she turned away. "Or…I might just hug him for a while…keep him where I can get to him…"

Annabeth giggled. "You know, you can be really cute when you want to be."

"Only as much as you can be rude, lass," she returned. "And what of you? What would you do if your significant other suddenly appeared in front of you?"

"Maybe I'd be able to tell you if I remembered him," she returned, tugging at her beanie to see the "PxA" etching. "It's all I can do to wonder why we both weren't sent here, so we wouldn't have to deal with an awkward meet-up later."

"We were told that there wasn't enough time to work through four sets of memories, that two was already pushing it," Reyna said. "Trust me; I asked something similar. We had to cut our losses and make one person wait, and if it was to be anyone, it would be him. Though, if Tempus were still alive, I'd bet that she would want to go instead. You children of wisdom…you tend to want to do things yourself. You're selfish that way."

"…"

"…Sorry; didn't mean to imply, lass."

"It's no problem. I'm just wondering what you think of me so far?" she asked. Reyna stared at her for a moment. "S-sorry, but I think I know the answer. You probably don't like me, what with my…unique methods, and all."

"…I think I went about this all wrong. I was under the impression that I should treat you differently, special, because of why you were sent here. I was wrong. You remind me so much of Tempus that…that I struggled to figure out that I should treat you like her."

"Um…thanks? That was…shockingly considered of you."

"Well," Reyna stuck her shovel in the ground and leaned on it. "I've got to prove the wench wrong sometime or another."

"Why, did she call you stupid?"

"Not to my face, the coward," they both chuckled. "And yes, it's true that I don't like you that much. But I don't hate you either, lass. And I'm open to change if you deserve it."

"Well…I'll try to earn it," Annabeth assured.

"And that's the first step."

"Reyna!" a voice called. "Reyna!"

"Is someone calling you?"

"Aye, sounds like-"

Octavian dashed up to them, completely out of breath. "Reyna, thank the gods I found you. I have terrible news!"

"What? What is it, lad?"

"A prophecy has been foretold!"

"What?!" Reyna's form tensed. "Already? Who was it addressed to?"

"To…t-to…the Fallen…" Octavian said. Both of them looked to Annabeth.

"Is that, uh…that wouldn't happen to be a codename for 'Greek' would it?"

"Right on the 'X', lass," Reyna said. "Follow me."

Back to the principia they went, where Reyna led them to a separate room which looked dangerous close to a library. On a pedestal was a particularly old and dusty book. "Why didn't I know this was here?"

"Because these pages weren't meant for you," Octavian said.

"Except for this one, apparently," Reyna approached the pedestalled book, which was open.

"So, you wanna tell me what was up with 'the Fallen'? Or how about what this place is?"

Octavian looked to Reyna for approval. She gestured that it was alright, with her attention more focused on the books. "Okay, um…long story short, or, multiple long stories combined, you Greeks are said to be Fallen because of how you 'fell' to the Romans. This place is where we house the Sibylline Book. My sister, for her quest to become praetor, went and retrieved it. It holds the power of prophecy; every year, a new prophecy is fulfilled. And this year, it seems, it will come true sooner than usual."

"…" Reyna stepped back, silent. She gestured for Annabeth to read. When she did, she saw a stanza of poetry, only it was really bad poetry. Or at least that was how it seemed to her. Also, oddly, it wasn't written in English, but instead in ancient Greek. Annabeth read it aloud:

 _Death unleashed it is your fate_

 _But two alive shall bear the weight_

 _Reunited siblings feud_

 _And Roman pride shall be renewed_

 _To the land beyond the gods_

 _And one unburned must face all odds._

"I don't…understand. What is this? What does it mean?" Annabeth suddenly had so many questions running through her head.

"It's-"

"Octavian," Reyna interrupted. "Call a senate meeting."

"B-but, Reyna-"

"Now!" she snapped, making him jump and flee the room. Once they were alone, Reyna started grilling Annabeth. "Can you make any of it out?"

"Y-yeah," Annabeth said, reciting the poem. "But what is it?"

"The land beyond the gods…no…" the praetor rubbed her temple.

"Reyna, please. Tell me what's happening."

"That is a prophecy; the catalyst for a heroic quest," she said, her tone indicating that she didn't want to explain any further.

"Okay, let's assume I'm an amnesiac who needs to know what the hell that means."

"Later."

"But-"

"Annabeth," she put a hand on the older girl's shoulder. "Later. I promise. For now, we must meet with the senate."

"Us? I thought-"

"It was addressed to you. You are Greek, the Fallen. Whatever you do, do _not_ mention this to the senators. Discuss only the words within the prophecy. Now," Reyna got a piece of paper and a pen from the table at the edge of the room. "Recite it again; I need to translate it into Roman."

xxxXXXxxx

Tempus couldn't say he was shocked that something came up. Honestly, he was surprised it didn't happen the very day that Annabeth had appeared. Seeing her now, so completely out of her element as she was argued over at the meeting, he felt sorry for her.

The argument was mainly about whether or not she should even go, given her rank and the fact that she arrived but days earlier.

"She's not ready."

"Unfair to the veterans."

"Needs to be a Centurion."

"Enough!" Reyna called. "I didn't call this meeting to hear you all bicker for four hours! The prophecy was foretold, and now it's set in stone. It was addressed to the newcomer, and so she _will_ lead it! That is my order as your praetor!"

The room was silent.

"Now…Annabeth, rise," she called. The girl did so from the edge of the room. She migrated to the center, where each of the senators' eyes bore into her, burning with jealousy and/or pity. Annabeth didn't even register that Reyna had read the prophecy aloud for them all to hear. "Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

"N-no…"

"Then she's hopeless," Nathan said off-handedly.

"Hey, let's work through this for a moment," Tempus spoke up. "Two of the lines are familiar to us; 'Roman pride' could refer to the lost Eagle, the pride of the Legion, so to speak. Also, the 'land beyond the gods' is widely considered to be anywhere north of the United States border. The Eagle was lost in Alaska, correct? That at least gives a direction to travel."

"But two alive," Hazel mentioned. "I thought the rule was three demigods per quest."

"Aye…and every time a solo yearly quest is undertaken, Fate decrees that either three return or a worse fate occurs," Reyna agreed.

"I volunteer myself for this quest," Tempus announced. "As her retainer, part of my responsibility is to protect her."

The others stared at him blankly. "You 'volunteer'?" Reyna questioned. Then she shook her head, as if just remembering that he didn't know all of the Roman customs. "We don't volunteer; the chosen…well, they're supposed to be Centurions, but the quester alone chooses their companions."

And so, eyes turned to Annabeth. She began to laugh nervously. "Um…I don't…know any of you that well, and I don't…particularly…trust you? So, if it's all the same-"

Clamor interrupted her as the various Centurions vied for her vote. Each gave largely inconsequential reasons, such as how they refrained from severing her arm during war games, or that, in the case of Nathan, said that she owed him for the dirty tricks she used to get the better of him. "Enough!" Reyna yelled, silencing the group. She took a deep breath, and looked to Annabeth with understanding eyes. "You may choose two people, out of all you see before you. From personal experience, I recommend you do not elect to go alone, as you'll likely have…stowaways. If not, then your odds of survival will be greatly lessened."

"O-okay, I'll take…" Annabeth examined the room closely. "You two," she pointed to the two praetors.

Reyna gave Annabeth a steely look that told her that that was a terrible decision, but she nodded. "Very well."

"But Reyna," Octavian spoke up, bringing her close so no one could hear. "You remember what happened the last time two praetors went on a quest at the same time?"

"I'm aware," Reyna said, addressing the crowd. "But her decision is absolute. So it seems that both of us praetors will go to the land beyond the gods."

"But…who will lead the Legion?" Hazel asked. Reyna considered this. The last time both praetors went was disastrous; the Centurions formed a joint college to make decisions. However, the praetors are supposed to be above squabbling and couldn't be beholden to the whims and needs of a single cohort, as the Centurions were. Thus, nothing got done at all, as all the Centurions were extremely selfish in their wants.

"Never fear," Reyna put a hand on Octavian's shoulder. "In our absence, my retainer will be your interim praetor. He knows Roman law inside and out. For the time of our absence, you can count on him."

"What?" Octavian jumped. "M-me? N-no, this is a mistake."

"Listen, lad," she said, her tone uncharacteristically soft and warm. "You can do this. I know you've been vying for the rank, and I believe you deserve it. Think of this as a test run."

"But…alright. I'll do my best."

"Good. Make it so," she said. "Does anyone have any objections?"

Tempus could tell from them avoiding her gaze that they did, in fact, have objections, but no one stood and voiced them.

"Good. Then this emergency meeting is adjourned," she called, allowing all but herself, Octavian, Tempus, and Annabeth to leave. "You make sure not to screw anything up while I'm gone, understand?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," he said.

"Good lad," she pat him one more time. "Best get a good night's rest tonight. Tomorrow you begin your new responsibilities," she said as she sent him off.

"So…any idea how we're going to get to Alaska?" Tempus wondered.

"I'm kind of curious why Octavian wanted you after I called for you two to join me," Annabeth added.

"I'll explain after we get moving. I suggest we start tonight, and I suggest we _don't_ go by land."

"Any reason?"

"Because I don't like Seattle, and we'd be dangerously close to it if we went cross-country," she said vaguely. "Besides, by sea, we'd already have us a worthy vessel."

"Oh?"

"To the principia first, to gather supplies. And lass, I'll explain about Octavian on the way."

xxxXXXxxx

"It _sure_ is gonna be cold on a boat," Annabeth said, shivering even just walking back without the adrenaline of confusion fueling her. "Anyway, about what I asked about?"

"Yes, right. See…" Reyna sighed, her voice becoming lower and more somber. "It was Tempus, the real one. She was chosen for a yearly quest. She went against the 'always three' rule, and went with her, her fellow praetor, and nearly an entire cohort. She said she did this because Mother warned her that this would be the most dangerous quest in Roman history. They were gone for nearly an entire year, and only one of them returned. Tempus survived, but she'd changed. She became radical in her policy, too much so for my tastes. Also…well, it's difficult to describe, actually. Before the quest, she always looked distant, like she was trying to memorize the horizon or something similarly far off. After the quest, she ceased looking at anything. She just…stared, blankly. Whenever I spoke to her, it never felt like she was listening to _me_ , but rather…something else in the back of her head."

"You think she might've gone mad?"

"I doubt that," she returned. "If she was truly mad, we would've had her step down. She still spoke and acted like any sane person, but…that stare…" she shivered. "Well, water under the bridge at this point. We're here. We should gather supplies; expect for at least a month. Then we head south."

"Why south?"

"Because that's where our vessel is."

xxxXXXxxx

They found themselves in an old shipping yard that looked like it'd been abandoned for centuries. They still had Civil War-era ships in the shipping yard, actually. At the end of the docks, however, was a working ship.

"Is that…a pirate ship?"

"It was," Reyna said. "But now it's mine."

"Wow…You should donate this to a museum; they'd pay a fortune for it!"

"Not likely. She's still got years in her for my use, such as now. I'll admit, it's been a while since she's been on the open sea, but I'm sure she'll fare just fine."

"And whose ship did it belong to before you, uh…acquired it?" Tempus wondered.

"None other than ol' Thatch himself. I personally welcome you to my vessel; the Queen Anne's Revenge."

 **Author's Note:**

 **No time to proofread today, unfortunately. I'll say that from this point on, the chapters became really hard to write with the exception of ch. 28, just because the book is so bad. But I think it turned out well enough. What do you think, though?**

 **See you tomorrow!**


	27. It Doesn't Concern You

"My dearest friend,

I wonder if you think I'm patronizing you with that greeting. I would love to see your face if that's the case. If not, then this next sentence will be unnecessary. Reyna, you are my friend. Besides Jason, you are my closest friend, and I hope to spend many more years being with you and helping you in whatever you aim to accomplish in your life. But I do not love you, like I do Jason.

The boy is adorable and reliable; my two favorite aspects in a person. While he's far from dull, I would never consider him even close to my intellectual equal. I would put him above you in intellect, however. He's matured faster than you, I believe, despite your mindset of reckless progress which got you to be my equal in rank so soon. If I had my way, I would have him by my side as praetor, but I don't feel as if that would be what is right for Rome.

Let me put it another way. I am a novel. I am smart, focused on logic, but contain an empathetic subtext. Jason is an abstract painting. His actions, to a normal Roman, seem like an enigma. No Roman in his right mind would stifle his own glory to save two rogue demigods who got themselves mixed up with rebellious pirates, after all. You can draw meaning from his actions just as you can draw meanings from art. It's interpretive. The only writing on a painting is the signature of the artist, usually hidden away. That would be my signature, if I had to guess.

Now we move to you. You are a map. A map can be used for various purposes. It could be used militarily, just as you think with the Legion in mind. It's used to see a land from a bird-eye view. From my experience, you tend to be very perceptive, especially when you're watching from the sidelines, rare as those times are. Most importantly, you are used to figure out which way is the best way forward. What will cause the least amount of bumps in the path, least amount of forks in the road?

Now think about our most recent Senate meetings. Well, most recent in the time of writing this. I speak with reason, opting for many changes to our way of life. You shoot them down. I don't berate you for this, as your followers have berated me for trying to change. You have every right, and I wish for you to continue doing this. Thankfully, you, as a map, are biased. Biased, in a small amount, by Jason's affinity for me. This give me the unique opportunity to dictate the path we go down. As I create forks in the road and bumps on the path, you redirect us out of danger, even as some of your attempts to push me back fail.

So I thank you, Reyna. I believe I'll leave this entry here.

Your Tammy"

The girl sighed as she closed the notebook. "I'm a map?" she said quietly, too quiet for the others to hear. "Stop with the bullshit similes and tell why you're speaking to me now…" she begged. She chuckled afterwards though, thinking Tempus would correct her by saying she was using metaphors.

Once again disappointed, Reyna took one last look through the entry, trying to find some hidden meaning, some secret code. Tempus would've been the type to put something like that within the pages, but she didn't see anything. Giving up, she tucked the notebook into her pack and stood. Tempus, the new one, was at the helm; she told him specifically not to try anything except keep them on a straight path up the coast. He agreed, but complained, as usual. Annabeth was leaning over the side, drinking in the salty air.

She seemed to be taking this whole thing well, considering the circumstances. She didn't have any fear in her eyes, which is more than Reyna could say for Jason when he found her on his quest, or even herself, when she set off to become praetor. Why? What did she have to go through to feel nothing at this?

" _Or maybe all Greeks are like this,"_ Reyna thought, noting how Tempus didn't have any in his eyes either. " _It might be why we conquered them; they were too foolishly cocky, like…me,"_ she shook her head.

It was around this time that Reyna became aware of an odd fact. She was the head Roman of the group, and yet, she was the youngest. It was a situation she'd become accustomed to; she was younger than most centurions when she was elected. She was younger than Tempus; even Jason had a few months on her. All of her closest allies, regardless of rank, had oftentimes exceeded her age and experience.

She sighed again. " _You've never let that get you down before? Why now?"_ Because now they didn't need her, like those lower in rank had needed her in the past. Her fellow questers were self-sufficient, so she was only the youngest and nothing more than that. " _Whatever…it doesn't really matter. Just keep your chin up, don't get too attached. With any luck, they'll be out of your hair soon and Jason will be back to fight with Octavian over the praetorship."_

It was that amusing thought that kept her spirits up as she approached the supposed leader of the quest. "Feeling okay, lass?" Reyna asked. The girl shrugged.

"Fine, I guess. I think it was a good idea to go by sea; the water calms me, and it's faster."

"The water calms you? Any idea why?"

"Hm…something to do with 'P'?" she offered, her eyes showing a spark of hope.

"Perhaps, lass. Keep your chin up, and you'll find him…or her."

"Sorry, but I don't think I swing that way," Annabeth chuckled.

"Aye, and I swing both," she noted.

"Really? I never would've guessed."

"Well…when I first arrived as a probatio, I, uh…well, I wasn't over being a pirate just yet and so now some of the Venus children… _all_ of the Venus children, tend to avoid me, however many times I apologize."

Annabeth laughed at that. "Oh gods, did you make it anywhere with any of them?"

"They're all beauty queens with magical gold weapons. No, I didn't get anywhere with any of them."

"Oh yeah…you _did_ say you ran with pirates for a while. No idea why, but I didn't really question it, especially when you said that your sword was Blackbeard's. Care to explain?"

"Well, now _this_ is a story of which I haven't been entirely honest," Reyna claimed. "But allow me to rectify that. See…I knew you, before you came to camp, before you lost your memories."

"What?!"

"Not for long, mind you. But I'd seen you before. Though, before you told me your name, you were unrecognizable. Now…this is a story about how I got in with pirates. It all started when we were kidnapped, my sister and I. Made slaves, really, by a witch named Circe. Ancient Greek witch with powerful magic that bound us to that land until her demise, which would have been never, should you and your friend have not arrive. I believe the boy's name was P-, but I handled him for but a moment."

"C-could you repeat his name, please?"

"Hm? P-," she said.

"I…" the daughter of Athena found herself scowling, frustrated that she couldn't even hear his name. "Never mind, just continue."

"Alright…I did your hair, prepared you to join Circe. You refused, as trained demigods want to do, and freed all of Circe's captives. Those captives…happened to be Blackbeard and his pirates. They wreaked havoc across the island. You took this very ship, further into the Sea of Monsters. Your friend gave my sister and I his sword, telling us to find another weapon quickly. We did, but…you must understand, we were completely untrained and outnumbered twenty to one. They…" she hesitated, and Annabeth noticed her drawing closer into herself with a self-hug. "They put us into chains and dragged us off to find a ship, if not their ship. It seemed in the time it took for them to catch us and finish pillaging Circe's whole island, someone had returned the Queen Anne's Revenge. Actually, given how much they were in a hurry, I'd bet they simply traded it in for a faster vessel. All I remember about _that_ person was a golden glow in her hand."

"And then you killed Blackbeard and took his pirates," Annabeth finished. "How soon after?"

"Within the month. His senses had been dulled after three centuries of being a guinea pig," Reyna snickered at the thought. "That, and he was blackout drunk."

"Wow…I bet it was easy for you," Annabeth mentioned. "From my experience, mortals aren't really a match for us, you know?"

Reyna hesitated. "Y-yeah, without a doubt. And to think, you were Greek all that time…truth be told, I expected to see either you or your friend at least one more time. I expected you to be at camp, but alas, you never came."

"Well…I'm here now. And I'm sorry, for whatever I did to free those pirates."

Reyna gave a forced grin. "Don't even say that; I'm much better off for it."

The two were quiet for a moment before Annabeth popped a question. "So, you wanna tell me what's up with this quest? You never gave me a proper explanation."

"Oh, right. See, quests…well, imagine the mythological Jason retrieving the Golden Fleece. It's a great journey to reclaim an artifact. Usually the artifact has great power and great value to us Romans."

"Oh…so what are we retrieving, an Eagle?"

"Well…that's a story-"

"Hey, Miss Praetor," Tempus called from across the ship. "Your turn to steer," he said. The girl sighed and nodded.

"…Ask him; he knows," she said before going and switching places with him. Well, more like she kicked him off the wheel, literally, after he spoke a few words to her. Nearly sent him overboard too. He rubbed his butt as he approached.

"Maybe lay off on trying to antagonize her," Annabeth suggested.

"Maybe she just can't handle by boyish charms," he returned. "All I said was a joke that I was a better sailor than her."

"Yeah, well, Roman pride and all that," she mentioned. "She said you could tell me about what we're getting."

"A golden Eagle, got lost a few decades back," he said simply.

"Um…"

"What?"

"I was…kind of expecting a bit more than that."

"Well, that's all I've got for you; I'm new, remember? I don't have the first clue what happened before I got here; I was expected to already know it, given the circumstances."

"So…wait…what did you do before you got here?" Tempus gave her a blank stare back. "You can't tell me, can you?"

"That's a negative, little lady."

The girl slumped her shoulders. "Disappointing, but not very surprising."

They travelled as far as they could before docking in a small inlet that was relatively hidden away. "Does the Mist hide this ship?"

"Yes," Reyna answered, dog tired from the day.

"So…camp?" Tempus suggested. "I could go grab some wood, make a fire, maybe cook some grub if you-"

"Don't care; need sleep," Reyna threw herself at a patch of grass and buried her face in her arms. Seemingly within seconds, she was sound asleep.

"O…kay then…" Annabeth said, setting her pack down. "I guess we don't need a fire; I brought snacks, though," Tempus nodded and accepted his bag of chips. The two started munching quietly. "Wanna bet she'll wake up?"

"Not really. She's too light a sleeper for me to take that gamble."

"Uh-huh…"

"So, um…have you recovered any memories yet?" Tempus asked, his tone cautious at best.

"Nope," she said, downing the rest of her bag and putting the trash in her pack.

"And that…doesn't bother you?"

"Of course it bothers me. But…what? Getting mad or impatient won't make them come back any faster. If my memories were taken, then they'll eventually be returned, right? Whether it's all at once, or in bursts, I don't really care. For now, I'll just wait."

"Right…still, must be scary."

She shrugged. "Not really."

Tempus studied her for a moment as she looked out to the water. She looked so at peace when she stared at the ocean, so content, like all of the tension was drained with the tide. Annabeth felt differently, thought differently.

Her eyes naturally drifted toward the ocean, with its repeating motion of waves and tides and such. She became introspective, wondered if she _should_ feel afraid about not knowing where she came from. "…Do you think it's enough if I know myself? Or do I need to know how I became who I am?"

"I…don't know," Tempus admitted. Her brow furrowed; that wasn't the answer she was looking for. "…It might depend on the person, or what their journey was. Are you…happy, with who you are?"

"I don't know yet; I haven't had enough time to judge. Besides, there are too many gaps right now. I don't get why I trust you so much, for example. I don't get why the ocean calms me to where I can think like this; I'm normally so…scatter-brained and impatient. It's trying to read a book that's missing whole chapters."

The imposter nodded. "I think I get that."

"…Can you help me fill in the gaps, at least a little? I know that you knew me, and that you're Greek."

"I can try."

"Where did we grow up? Were there others like us?"

"A lot. There was another camp, like Camp Jupiter, where Greek demigods were trained. It wasn't as big, and the gods played a much more active role, sometimes even coming down to announce quests for their children, sometimes staying at camp. Unlike Camp Jupiter, the Greek camp was run like a mortal summer camp; most kids went back to their families for school, to try and keep up the facade of a normal life. We didn't have that luxury."

"Are our parents...dead?"

"No. Mine was put into a mental hospital, as I learned a few years after we got to camp. You ran away from home and we traveled together before going to camp, but I think you eventually made nice with your mortal family."

"Do you...know where they live?"

"Even if I did, I doubt I'd be allowed to tell you."

"Order from the gods?"

"No," he said, gesturing to Reyna. "From her."

"Didn't think you took orders from a pirate."

He chuckled. "Anything else?"

Annabeth considered. she wanted so badly to ask about "P", but for whatever reason, the thought of having to be told what he was like irked her. It wouldn't be fair to him. "…What were the gods like? Or, what _are_ they like? What was my mother like?"

"I never met your mother. I only met a few gods, but that doesn't mean I didn't know them. They were all-" he caught himself. "…I'm not the best person to ask, actually."

"Well, you're all I've got, so spill."

Tempus took a deep breath. "Alright, fine…actually…I think you're about to get some firsthand experience," he said, pointing behind her. When she looked, she saw a large column of light shooting up into the sky. She only saw the briefest of its flashes before it faded, and she saw enough of it to tell that it was rainbow-colored.

Annabeth stood, strangely drawn to the light. "Is that what a god feels like?" she asked.

"Depends. What do you feel?"

"…Allure. A lot of allure. Like…a child to her mother."

"Or a moth to a light," Tempus muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, standing with her. "You're the quest leader. Are we going there or not?"

"Um…it's not too far…why not? They've got be have been sending us a message, right? They want to speak to us."

Tempus' posture shifted, so slight in difference that Annabeth didn't notice at first. "We're moving," he said, loud enough for Reyna to hear. Instantly, she shot to her feet.

"What?" she questioned.

"Were you…ever even asleep?"

"Aye, and I guarantee my dream beats wherever we're going."

The light truly wasn't very far away. The length of three football fields, and they saw when it'd come from; a small convenience store called Rainbow Organic Food and Lifestyles, or ROFL for short. For once, nothing tried to stop them. "Huh…kind of expected some resistance," Annabeth muttered. "And…there's another gap; why in the hell would I expect that?"

"Because most times, on quests, everything goes wrong until you either succeed or die," Reyna mentioned.

"Rainbow…" Tempus examined the whole structure. "My bet is this is where Iris resides."

"Iris, the rainbow goddess?" Annabeth questioned. "Why would she should be here?"

"You mean Arcus?" Reyna corrected.

"Tomato-tomato," Annabeth claimed, stepping up to the door. She peered inside the glass pane, and saw what looked to be a normal convenience store, filled with racks containing the products, a soft drink machine, a Slurpee machine, the works. "I don't _see_ anyone in there, but…I don't know. What do you guys think?"

"She _did_ summon us," Tempus mentioned.

"A goddess summoned us?" Reyna looked like she might drop her fudge. "This is…unheard of! Only once before has this happened, and that was-"

"Because of the threat, we know," Annabeth said, though Reyna seemed too excited to be deterred.

"So let's go in right now!" she charged forward, but as soon as her hand touched the door handle, she was blasted backwards by an unknown force. Actually, it wasn't unknown, as rainbows and flowers had sprouted from where she was blasted back from.

"Iris doesn't want you to enter," Tempus said, kneeling beside her. Annabeth wasn't deterred. When she set her hand upon the handle, nothing happened. She looked back at her fellow questers. Reyna seemed to have her pride wounded and her hopes dashed, but she didn't look injured. Tempus looked…slightly worse than neutral, miffed perhaps? Still, he gestured for her to enter.

What immediately hit Annabeth was the smell, vaguely that of fine herbs, but mostly like eight day old feet. She pinched her nose so she wouldn't have to deal with it. "Um…hello?" Annabeth called into the seemingly empty store. "Anyone there?"

"Oh yes, hello," a girl popped out of the back room. She had an odd way of speaking, holding out every word for an unusually long period of time. With her baggy clothing, glazed over and bloodshot eyes, and her speech mannerism, Annabeth would guess that she wasn't all there in the head. "Yes, how are you?"

"I'm, uh…fine. Did you call me here?"

"Did I? If I did, I'm afraid it was an accident, dear."

"O-oh, um…are you…Iris? Or…Arcus?"

"Oh yes, I guess I am Ircus," she said. It took her a long moment to realize her mistake, and then she started giggling. "And you're who?"

"I'm Annabeth. I'm on a quest, apparently. Any pointers?"

"You should go to Seattle," she said. "You'll have such a great time there, learn some valuable information. Yes, you will."

"But…Reyna said-"

"Oh, that Aduro; don't listen to her. You'll be fine, no worries."

" _Aduro? Singer?"_ the Greek recalled. "O-okay, Lady Iris. Um…I guess I'll be going now. Um…thanks for the info, I think?" Annabeth turned fact on her heels and got out of there. It wasn't as much for the smell anymore, but because Iris…kinda scared her; she _definitely_ wasn't all there.

For the two outside, the wait was an uneventful one. Though, they saw Annabeth completely disappear once the door closed; not even through the glass could they see her. While that didn't exactly bode well for Tempus, as he _was_ her retainer, he doubted that a goddess of her caliber would try anything with him near.

"What are you even doing out here?" Reyna said suddenly.

"Hm?"

"You have the chance to meet a literal god, and you just stand there like a man without his sea legs!"

She'd taken to sitting on the ground, either from leftover tiredness or frustration at not being able to go inside. Tempus crossed his arms, a scowl on his face.

"Call it paranoia," he returned.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"…Nothing. It doesn't concern you; it's private."

"But-"

"Drop it!" Tempus snapped, losing his cool for the first time in a while. Thankfully, nothing formed in his hand in his brief loss of control. He took a deep breath, noticing that he had begun softly glowing.

Reyna stared him skeptically. She didn't look scared or disturbed, just uninterested. It was like she was saying "do you really think that'll deter me?" without actually saying it.

"…I'm sorry," he said finally. "Just know that the gods I've met haven't exactly wowed me, alright?"

"So you've met some before?"

"Unfortunately."

"Lucky," she argued, barely audible. Tempus scoffed and shook his head. "Don't give those subtle gestures and vague explanations; either tell me straight or shut your pie hole, would you please?"

"Fine, whatever," he relented. The two waited in silence for Annabeth to return. When she did, she immediately started walking back toward the ship. "What happened?"

"Hm? Oh, we…talked for a few minutes," Annabeth said. "Let's just go. I need a shower again."

"You won't get one on _my_ ship," Reyna said. "Use the ocean, or hope for rain," Almost as if on cue, thunder rumbled in the distance. "So, why did Arcus call you?"

"She didn't, said it was an accident. But she did give us a place to go. But you're not gonna like it. She said to, uh…go to Seattle."

"What? But…but we…no way, come on…"

"Relax; what's there that you're so afraid of?" Tempus questioned. "Whatever it is, it can't be _that_ bad, can it?

He said that, and then when they got there, they were immediately attacked by psycho women with chains and spears.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey all! Uneventful, right? Well, that's because the book sucks! But I've expressed that I dislike it before. Anyway, personally I think the most interesting parts of this chapter are the small little character moments, we get Annabeth beginning to be a bit introspective, we get Reyna think to herself, and Tempus finally almost losing his cool, for the first time.**

 **I don't know, but let me know what you think!**


	28. To The Better

Reyna awoke feeling lighter, both in the head and on her body. When her eyes opened, they immediately shut again to ward off the blinding light that made her head pound. Wait, no…her head pounded anyway. Dizziness encompassed her vision for a few seconds before they cleared, revealing the other two questers already awake, guards behind them, barely visible from the shadows of the edge of the room. She tried to stand, but found her ankles bound to the legs of the chair she was seated her, her hands bound behind her back. The others were similarly restrained. The air was salty; they were still near the ocean at least. Reyna guessed they were in a warehouse in the port.

She found that they'd taken her armor away, leaving only a purple t-shirt and denim short shorts for her to wear to cover herself. A chill went up her spine almost immediately from the cold. It really was amazing how much warmth was trapped within her armor.

"You've grown sloppy," a patronizing voice filled Reyna's ears from behind, as a sword, still in his sheath, rested on her shoulder. "I was expecting much more of struggle to catch you as you passed, but alas."

"As if you have _any_ of mom's competitive spirit in you," she growled. As the woman circled around to Reyna's front, the praetor smiled, despite herself. "Been a while, sis."

"That it has, and for good reason."

"What? Still sore?" the girl unsheathed the blade and examined its golden edge, taking it in. She'd never held it before, and Reyna could tell she was savoring the moment, especially with its owner right before her. Reyna's smile faded when she saw the girl ogling her weapon so callously. "If you like it so much, marry it; I'll be sure to be its best man."

Their captor scoffed and held the blade up to Reyna's jugular. "You make it _very_ tempting to end it right now, _little_ sister."

"Why aren't you using those fancy hidden daggers in your sleeves? Do you Amazons still wear that, or are you so stupid that you've forgotten?" Reyna continued patronizing the older woman.

Annabeth cleared her throat, getting both of their attentions. "Hey, yeah, can I suggest not antagonizing someone who has a sword and is not tied to a chair," she said.

"Don't worry about it, lass. The bilge rat's not gonna hurt us; it'd ruin the peace negotiations we made."

"Ha!" she laughed. "Are you referring to the one you already defiled by coming into Amazon territory?"

"The very one. And if you don't want the Legion to march over here to get us, you'll let us pass through safely."

"Oh, but I think you're all a little busy."

Reyna fell silent. " _Do they know about the deal? No, that's impossible."_

"Good; a quiet Aduro is a good Aduro. Well, I suppose 'good' is relative. Now, _you_ , on the other hand," she turned to Tempus, who'd been silent. He offered a cocky smirk. "You deserve _so_ much better than these two nobodies. You're too handsome for them, for one."

"You're not too bad yourself," he returned. "But, if we're gonna do this, I gotta know your name, right?"

"But of course; call me Hylla, leader of the Amazons."

"Ooh, let me guess; an insanely strong and coordinated all-female group who goes around hunting monsters and personal enemies?"

"Right on the money. I like a cultured man," she sat on his lap and ran her fingers lovingly through his hair.

"Well, then it's your lucky day. See that hunk to my left?" he gestured to Reyna.

"Piss off," Reyna spat. "You see my curves clear as day from where you're sitting."

"Ignore her," Hylla turned his head to face her, and pulled him closer.

He seemed about to give in, to turn his back on the other two, but he grinned. "Sorry, but I've seen it before. And let me tell you; I don't exactly poll well with these types of focus groups."

"Oh, such a shame," she almost seemed disappointed as she put the blade dangerously close to his scarred eye.

"Wait!" Annabeth said suddenly. She wriggled closer to him in her chair. "You said you were Reyna's sister, right? The one from the island?"

"What? Island? You know?"

"I was there," she claimed. "You _must_ remember me; I was the last guest you ever attended!"

"Y-you…it couldn't be you."

"Believe it, sis. We've got our liberator right-"

"Shut up!" Hylla snapped, slashing Reyna's cheek. "Tell me; how did you end up with this filthy Aduro?"

"I lost my memory and was sent to camp," she answered.

"Then…you _don't_ know of the island. Or what you did."

"I know I freed some pirates and they hurt you and your sister. I don't…know the details, but I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

Hylla seemed to be considering her options, weighing whether or not she should kill Annabeth for what she did. "You really gonna do it, sis?" Reyna asked, feigning surprise. "I had no _idea_ you were so heartless!"

The leader of the Amazons looked more annoyed than anything. "If she speaks nonsense again, gag her," she told the guard that was standing behind the praetor. "Use chain, so she can't bite through it.

"Ooh, I'm _so_ scared."

"Back on topic; why, exactly, are we here?" Tempus questioned. "Is this just a grudge between you and your sister?"

"You serve the gods, we do not. It's not safe for us to intermingle with you all; divine wrath and all. But…" Hylla sighed. "Even with the distance, the gods punish us with monsters, and demigods seeking glory…to stop the latter, we formed a peace treaty, where we agreed to stay out of each other's' territories."

"The one we broke by coming here?"

"Correct."

"Okay, easy fix; we're not looking for glory, we're just passing through, heading north, to Alaska."

"Alaska?" Hylla exchanged a few looks with the guards. "Why? No, wait, let me guess; you're going to reclaim a supposedly Roman artifact?"

"Yeah, the Legion's Eagle," Annabeth explained. Reyna shot the older girl a glare for giving away too much information, but she didn't speak, not just yet.

"You wanna tell me why you're hiding stuff from us?" Tempus questioned. "What do you know?"

"As if I'd tell you."

"Then maybe you don't know?" he guessed. Hylla wavered momentarily, enough to give away that he was right. "Long shot, I'm guessing you've got another prisoner who mentioned Alaska for some reason? Am I in the ballpark?"

"Perceptive; uncommon in a man. Still, it doesn't matter; you three won't be going anywhere."

"But we _just_ said we're only passing through," Annabeth argued. "Who cares about your stupid treaty if it doesn't even apply; it was for conquerors, not passersby."

"Actually, the wench has a very good reason not to let us through," Reyna spoke up. "Because she knows that if I get out of this chair, I'm going to annihilate their whole gang here."

"You couldn't if you tried. I have an army of warriors ready to fight you, if you so desire, _coward_ ," Hylla said the mundane insult with such venom that Annabeth surprised in spite how she already understood that they had bad blood between each other.

Reyna shook violently in her chair and snarled. "Just _wait_! I'll _show_ you who's the coward between us!" she growled, her voice rising in volume with each word until she was shouting, deafening the other people in the room. Hylla nodded to one of the guards, and she started walking forward, a reinforced chain trailing behind her, hanging off her wrist.

Reyna, instead of fighting the punishment, opened her mouth wide, her eyes sending daggers straight through Hylla. Annabeth guessed that she was thinking about what she'd do once she got out. And then she got out.

The daughter of Bellona bit down hard to the chain, startling the guard. She whipped her head so fiercely so as to yank the chain from the guard's hand, that Annabeth swore she heard the snap of her neck. As the guard went to reach for the chain, Reyna let go and bit her hand, yanking her close and head-butting her. The force of the impact was enough to knock her out, with her hand lying limp on Reyna's lap.

The others looked ready to join the fight, but Tempus and Annabeth, despite their bonds, distracted them, either by tripping them up or rocking to block their way. It was only a few seconds before Reyna got the hidden dagger from the unconscious Amazon's sleeve, tossed it behind her, and cut the ropes binding her wrists.

Hylla was the first to make it past the two captives, but by then Reyna's hands were free. She parried Hylla's stab towards her face, and head-butted her too, sending her backwards to the floor with a bloody forehead. After she cut the bonds on her ankles, she grabbed the chain with her other hand and whipped it into both of the guards trying to get around the other two. "Gah!" Tempus' eyes went wide. "Jeez, nearly took me out too!"

"Relax, lad; I would've only taken a little off the top," Reyna claimed, seeing Hylla stand. Reyna, with her whip and dagger, offered visual challenge to her, practically begging her to come and fight. Instead, Hylla ran. "Get back here!" Reyna yelled, dashing after her. She put the small weapon on Annabeth's lap as she dashed after the Amazonian leader.

"Quick, get us out," Tempus said as Annabeth worked to get the dagger to her hands. She quickly did, and then freed Tempus. "We need to get to that other prisoner. He might have some useful information."

"What about my dagger?" was Annabeth's immediate follow-up.

"What? It's…alright, armory first, then prisoner. Let's see if we can find either of them."

xxxXXXxxx

Reyna caught Hylla as she made the mistake of turning down a long open corridor. The daughter of Bellona shot her whip forward, smacking and linking onto Hylla's foot, which caused her to fall.

The younger girl shot forward at her opportunity. The fall had caused Hylla to drop Reyna's blade, allowing her to retrieve it and unsheathe it, ready to attack.

The two clashed, Hylla drawing her daggers. "Who's the coward now?"

"Still you, little sister, or do I need to remind you how you ever got a taste of leadership!" Hylla forced Reyna back a bit. She didn't stumble, though, and attacked once again, letting loose a flurry of attacks which kept the Amazon on the defensive.

"You _shame_ our mother by running away!" Reyna spat. "Though I won't say it wasn't smart; you never _did_ inherit her fighting skills."

"And yet that's _all_ you got from her."

The Amazon broke off the confrontation, parrying Reyna's stab and then running away again. The chase resumed, but Hylla knew the area well, knowing exactly where to jump to avoid high falls as they descended across boxes which had the Amazon logo, the online retail service, plastered on the sides. Already having a head start, Reyna was forced to follow from higher up on some rafters.

Seeing her opportunity, Reyna swung her chain, latching it onto a balcony ahead of her, and leapt down, swinging down close to Hylla's level before letting go. She'd landed in front of her sibling, cutting her off. Reyna smirked. "So, what's you guys' motto again? To the better?" she raised her blade.

"You lack context on those words," Hylla warned, readying her own weapons.

"You can't beat me."

"I never boasted that I could. And I forgot that there was one other thing you gleaned from our mother; her cowardice!"

With a furious growl, Reyna attacked, quickly getting through Hylla's defenses and slashing her arm and face. Hylla quickly retaliated, the ferocity of which took Reyna aback, making her stumble. She quickly found her footing, however, and attacked again, managing to trip up her opponent and got her blade up to her neck. "Yield!"

"What is this? Mercy?" Hylla smirked. "That isn't very Roman of you, sis."

"You're my family, you filthy coward; I won't kill you," Reyna claimed. "All I want is to pass through to the north unharmed."

"Gonna have a bit of a problem there," Hylla said. Frustrated, Reyna pressed her blade up a bit harder to her neck, drawing a small amount of blood. "Hey, hey, hang on."

"Yield," Reyna repeated.

"…I wonder if you'd surrendered before? Maybe to that other girl, the one who died saving your sorry hide?"

" _Tempus? I thought Lady Juno erased everyone's…or maybe just camp's…"_ Reyna thought. "No, I haven't, and I don't plan on making today my first."

"Perhaps it would've been smarter to do so," Hylla continued. "Especially back then, with the pirates. Maybe then you wouldn't have ever become captain."

"We _both_ would've also been dead."

"Have you told them, by the way? Of your incident? I'd imagine not; you seemed fairly intent on hiding it in front of them, or denying it."

"If you're trying to persuade me to get on your side, you're failing."

"Oh no, I was just buying time."

"For what?"

"For the tides to turn," Hylla claimed. "After all, why would I yield, when you're the one who's surrounded?"

The glints of weapons flashed as about two dozen Amazon approached. A deadly gaze was directed at her from all of them, as they saw her about to kill their leader. In the brief moment that Reyna looked at them, Hylla smacked her weapon away and rolled backward, meeting up with her Amazons. "Do you see this? This is loyalty."

"And?"

"Nothing; just figured it'd be a new sight to you."

Reyna was tempted to bite back with a remark of her own, but Hylla's previous question had gotten her thinking. "…I haven't told them," Reyna admitted. "I've been…scared, of what they'll think."

"Your past is yours alone," Hylla recalled the words they'd said to the praetors when they'd both arrived at camp, all those years ago.

"Something like that...but...I'm starting to think they deserve to know, if they have to depend on me."

Hylla hesitated, but ultimately ordered the attack, and then the fight was on.

xxxXXXxxx

The two other questers ran into some trouble of their own, after finding their way towards the armory. Conveniently, there'd been a map to guide them there, but it didn't tell them the Amazons' patrol paths, so they were inevitably spotted.

"Hey, you!" one from a group of four or five called as they passed.

Tempus froze. "Who, me?" he wondered, pointing to himself.

"Yeah, where's your uniform?"

"U-uniform?" Annabeth asked. "What uniform?"

The group exchanged nervous glances. "Get 'em."

"Okay, we've got company!" Tempus said, urging Annabeth into a dash.

"O-okay, alright! This is the way to go, right?"

The two found themselves eventually running from a pack of almost thirty Amazons. But the good news was that they found the armory, where all manner of spear and shield and chain (that was mostly it) could be found. She quickly found Trident, along with their other stuff, which had been lazily thrown in there, likely to be sorted through later so that Hylla could get on with whatever weird torture she was going to put them through. "Oh great!" the Greek exclaimed. "Now we can get you a weapon too!"

Tempus was busy barricading the door. "Yeah, maybe just focus on getting Trident back."

"But we'd fare a _lot_ better if we were both armed. Here, just take this spear!" she tossed it to him, but he swatted it away. "What's your problem?"

"Don't!" he snapped. "Don't tempt me. Please, just…don't."

It wasn't like Annabeth had any time to consider, as just then, the barricade broke. Enemies poured in and surrounded them. "Okay, I've got a plan, but it's gonna take some doing," she said, standing back to back with her partner.

"Just go. I'll create an opening for you," he claimed.

"What? No, they'll slaughter you!"

"Just go, and get the other prisoner."

"But…"

"Break!" Tempus dashed forward with an unreal speed, breaking through a hole in their line almost immediately, kicking the two closest to the door aside. On instinct, Annabeth ran, straight through the door. She slid close to the ground, skidding as she turned, narrowly avoiding a chain shot her way. Tempus caught the chain before the Amazon retracted it, and yanked her closer, socking her in the jaw. The force of the blow sent her flying back into a wall of weapons, making a massive clamor surround them.

It seemed like the signal to ambush, as a dozen of his attackers charged simultaneously. Tempus found himself smirking as they approached; he could see each and every one of their attacks before they happened.

As he went to counter each of them in turn, watching them all tumble into each other from his redirections, Tempus felt a rush that he hadn't felt in ages; the feeling of total domination, total control over everything. He even found himself laughing as they struggled to recompose themselves.

"So confident," one of them spat, looking even more livid than the others at being manhandled by him. "I can't _wait_ until it all comes crashing down around you!"

She charged forward and Tempus prepared for another round of dominance, when he really thought about her words. Time froze. "…It already has," he reminded himself. "When you felt this before…it was a false feeling…"

Call it self-punishment, but when Tempus resumed time, he let the girl hit him. If she'd been using her daggers, he would've done otherwise, but a punch to the perfect jawline was well deserved for forgetting himself.

After that, seeing a moment of weakness, the others attacked. Tempus, back on his feet, broke through their barrier and made a break himself, dashing the opposite way from where Annabeth went, leading them to follow him. His goal was never to defeat them all, though he had no doubt in his mind that he could, but if he allowed himself to feel that rush again…

He shook the thought from his head; he couldn't afford a trip down memory lane again. He dashed through the room where they'd been held, and went down where Reyna had gone, hoping to meet up with her and Hylla. What he didn't want to see was her fighting another dozen Amazons.

She fought like a demon, her blade a mere flash of gold in the air as she cut up her competition. Hylla was off to one side, content with watching it all play out. Tempus even saw her smirk when she noticed him trailing in double what was already here.

The man broke through the line surrounding Reyna, grabbed her hand, and tugged her along. He yanked her forward into the wall of Amazons blocking their path. He expected her to just tumble into them and curse at him, but she retained balance and kicked the two to the side, landing on her feet and in a run. "It took you long enough!" she said, a grin on her face.

"Yeah well, we ran into a bit of trouble."

"Where's the Greek?"

"Finding the prisoner. This way; there's also an exit in the middle," he led them up some stairs to metal rafters like you'd see in a warehouse.

"Then I guess we have to hold the exit," she reasoned, the grin still there.

"Oh, I think you're enjoying this a bit too much."

"Oh, you know me _so_ well."

Their banter was interrupted as a wet barrel dropped down from above. It was labelled "explosive". The two jumped over it, but not before Hylla, having joined in following them, whipped the metal around it, sending sparks to meet what must've been gasoline covering the barrel.

The explosion sent them flying across the way. Reyna was lucky in that she was sent basically straight, allowing her to land back on the rafter, but Tempus wasn't so lucky.

Acting fast as she landed, she vaulted over the railing, lodging her sword into it and grabbing him, swinging them both back up. "Phew, thanks," he said, the two stopping for a moment to catch their breath. "Hey, looks like we make a-"

"Don't say we make a good team, outsider; I can make a 'good team' with anybody; it's a part of my skillset," she said. They looked back, seeing the walkway completely destroyed, impossible to cross. Reyna scoffed. "We should have stood and fought them all. If you're half as good as you act, then we could've taken them."

"Sorry, I'm a terrible fighter," he lied. "I just ran when they spotted me."

"A shame," she returned. "Well then, I guess we should-" metal met metal as Hylla threw her chain upwards, latching onto a hidden support beam, too dark to see for a normal person. One by one, they swung across. Reyna was about to go kick them off, but by the time she would've gotten there, there would've been five of them. Normally not an issue, but when one mistake could send her falling to her untimely death, it wouldn't have been the safest strategy.

Not only that, but people approached from behind; big, burly men wearing orange jumpsuits and collars, like a sex slave, carrying all manner of blunt weaponry. There were a dozen or so of them on their other side.

Reyna stood facing the men, Tempus facing the women. "So, any ideas?" Tempus wondered.

"Stay behind me; I'll take care of them," she said.

"I meant for the women."

"…Good luck," as all she said before springing into action, trying to clear a path. The Amazons, now numbering almost two dozen on their side of the new chasm, charged, leaving Tempus to try and hold them off while following Reyna.

It was easier once they got into the tick of the men; they were so bulky that they blocked off the Amazons from attacking them, and when they intermingled, the women were doing as much damage to their allies as they sent directly toward Tempus and Reyna.

It was only a matter of half a minute before they broke the line and had to continue running.

"Hey, you guys!" they heard from across the room. Tempus turned to see Annabeth on a rafter a ways away, carrying a man on her shoulders as she jogged across. "I found an exit!" Of course, as she said it, another two dozen Amazons filed out of the hall where she entered from to follow her. "I also found a problem."

"Yeah, well so have we!" Reyna snapped, parrying the blow of the man who'd caught up. She tripped him up, making everyone start to tumble over him.

"Excuse me; do _you_ have an annoying blind old soothsayer on your back? I knocked him out for a reason, you know?"

"But what about…agh! Never mind," Reyna tried focusing on the goal.

The two groups continued running to the end of the room, where the rafters met up. Unfortunately, there was no exit from this point, and they were about to be overrun.

"Plan; I'll clear us a path," Reyna said, switching places with Annabeth so she faced the direction they needed to be going.

"Better plan; I see some explosive barrels up there," Annabeth mentioned, pointing up to the ceiling. Housed for storage, there was a large pile of them neatly stacked like you'd see boxes stacked in the corner of a garage. Tempus took the man off of Annabeth so she could defend them, with Tempus and Reyna's group of attackers having caught up. Reyna quickly stole a chain from the other side, when they caught up, and did her best to fend them off. "Here," she tossed the chain to Tempus. "You knock them loose."

Tempus was about to throw it back, when Reyna was suddenly swamped, barely holding the line, mostly due to the very narrow space to fight working to their advantage. The man surveyed the area. For a terrifying moment, when he felt what could be a considered a weapon in his hands again, the rush came back, the feeling of absolute power, and for a terrifying moment, Tempus thought " _I could take off all of their heads in an instant, save us the trouble."_

"Hey, what are you waiting for?" Annabeth questioned, being pushed back into him from one of the men's attacks. She pushed him back, simultaneously shaking Tempus out of his daze.

" _Annabeth,"_ he reminded himself. " _You can't let her see that side again."_

He readied the chain like a whip and then shot it upwards, successfully knocking the barrels loose.

Only a few landed on the rafters behind the group that Annabeth had trailed in, and they didn't offer immediate help. Instead, they had to take a gamble. Annabeth did a quick cut onto her immediate attacker's legs before swiftly kicking her head to the side, making her fall directly into the path. As another Amazon stumbled over her unconscious friend, Annabeth made quick work of her and piled her as well. Hoping that two bodies would hold for just a few seconds, Annabeth dashed to the other side. "Heads up!" she called. Just like before, Reyna ducked slightly, allowing Annabeth to vault over her and slam her feet into whoever was in the way.

Seeing that they were making a push to escape, Reyna joined Annabeth in the assault. Reyna had gotten her chain back, using it to make plenty of room, being particularly careful not to accidentally whip Annabeth's face off. The Greek, meanwhile, was stealing weapons left and right, from their daggers and chain, to whatever they brought including an Amazon box filled with glass. They made progress only as fast as they lost ground behind them. Tempus kept kicking them back, but with more and more enemies vying for the kill/capture, he could only do so much.

Once the coast was clear, they dashed, leaping straight over two of the three barrels. Reyna grabbed the last one as she passed, narrowly avoiding death as Hylla threw her dagger toward her. It shot past her and stuck into the wall where they were running, and Annabeth grabbed it as she passed. She saw a perfect shot as the Amazons tumbled over the barrels, and threw, praying she had knife-throwing training from wherever she was from.

Miraculously, she hit her mark, sending sparks flying and sending that whole area up in an explosion, not only blasting away whoever was nearest, but cutting off the majority of the others.

"Circle around!" Hylla called behind her, being one of the five or six who made it past the explosions. "Don't let them escape!"

"Alright, blondie, where's the exit you mentioned?" Reyna questioned.

"Follow me!"

She led them past the prisoner cells, where Tempus assumed they would've been locked up after Hylla had been finished with them. Once they were past them, they finally saw daylight through a doorway, past another rafter across an extendable bridge. With no time for that, they jumped. Reyna, before she jumped, dropped the explosive barrel. She jumped into a flip, and whipped her chain as she did, exploding the barrel and widening the gap now too far for the Amazons to jump.

She crashed into the corner of the alcove as a dagger embedded itself right beside her head. Another three crashed into the wall as she scrambled up, being aided by Annabeth, before they burst through the door and finally to freedom.

The Amazons, at first, didn't know what to do. One of them stepped up to Hylla. "Do we give chase?"

The woman was panting, out of breath from the encounter. "…No," she said, remembering the brief moment of weakness her sister had shown. "…No, first we measure the damage. Then…you will make for Camp Jupiter. I will follow them alone."

xxxXXXxxx

The three questers' hearts pounded well after they got away. They sprinted through the streets of Seattle. Only when they thought they'd made sufficient distance did they eventually stop, having run all the way from West Seattle to Redmond, resting in a park. Tempus immediately went to Annabeth, who'd been the first to sit, panting. "Hey, you alright? No major injuries?" he questioned. She nodded as she exhaled. "Okay, good…" he hesitated. "How's your memory?"

She gave him an odd look when he asked, but answered quickly. "I get a few flashes every now and then, some visions when I sleep. I see…the inside of a volcano, a really long staircase…a pair of…silver eyes in the dark…and…a yacht? You were on the yacht, but I don't know what that means."

" _Damn it,"_ he thought. " _She'll remember any day…couldn't hide it forever, I suppose."_

What he didn't want, however, was this old cook telling everybody for him.

"Well!" he greeted, finally awake. "Looks like I've been liberated by an unlikely group!"

"Yeah, save the thanks. We want answers," Reyna said, not in the mood for any games.

"Well, I don't think that's necessary. I'd gladly help anyone who rescued me, even this misfit band of wisdom, Aduro, and…hm, interesting. The Titan Lord himself graces us with his presence."

"What?" all eyes were on Tempus.

"Did he just call you a Titan?"

Tempus took a deep breath. "I guess…it's time to spill. I think you should know now, though I would've preferred if _someone_ had asked to see if it was cool to tell them," the old man whistled innocently. Tempus sighed, and looked Annabeth straight in the face. "My name is Luke Castellan. The Titan Lord Kronos and I…are one and the same."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Abrupt though it it, that's where I'll leave off. You guys guessed it well in advance that Tempus was Luke, and to be fair, I didn't make it very subtle. But now the characters know, and we're going to have a shit storm tomorrow.**

 **So, a couple things bts-wise; first, I was originally going to have a scene where Annabeth finds two old men in cells, and have both try and play off being a soothsayer, but I figure it would've broken up the action too much. Second, I was originally planning on having a scene in the last chapter where the questers are attacked on the ocean by Seatle, and are rescued/captured byt he Amazons who arrive to help, in which the ship is destroyed in the attack. I ultimately decided against it for a few reasons. First, the last chapter was mostly character and I didn't really want half-and-half if there was literally no meaning in the action. Like, I did it in chapter 20, but that was because the action accentuated the character, but this definitely wouldn't have.**

 **So yeah that's bts. Next, the ending for this "season", because I still like to do that. Short explanation this time. "Dream Lantern" by RADWIMPS, with an excellent English cover by Akane Sasu Sora on youtube. I mean, there** _is_ **an official English version, but it's by the original Japanese creator who clearly doesn't fully understand how the language works in terms of...like, proper annunciation and phrasing. So check out the cover. Dima Lancaster also recently put one out, though I prefer Akane's more personally (though I'd change "high-five" to "and all" and shorten the last line to roll better off the tongue but whatever).**

 **Anyhoo, explanation; straight-forward, it's basically Percy singing to Annabeth. Shortest expo ever.**

 **See you all tomorrow!**


	29. It Was My Choice

"L-Luke?" Annabeth put a hand to her head, struggling to remember. The name sounded so familiar, so safe, on her tongue, like she'd known him her whole life.

"…Does my name spark memories?" he wondered, his voice barely loud enough to hear.

"Y-yeah…you were there, from the beginning. You…you protected me, cared for me…then…something happened, and suddenly…I was fighting you…?" she pressed into her forehead, searing pain erupting behind her eye as her memories struggled to return through Juno's manipulation. "You were with the enemy? No, that…that can't be true. Tell me it isn't true, Tem…I mean…Luke…"

"…I wasn't with the enemy," he said. "I _was_ the enemy. Kronos whispered sweet lies in my ears, and like a dog, I followed him. He killed my friends, my family, and I still followed him. That changed, but by then it was too late."

"But…you…you died, didn't you?"

"If not, he's about to feed the fish," Reyna drew her blade. "You said you were with the Titans?" she asked for confirmation.

"I led them."

Reyna took a deep breath. It almost sounded like that of relief, like she'd _finally_ found the source of her suffering. She raised her sword, with the intention of ramming it through Luke's heart. "Wait!" Annabeth stood in front of her. "Don't kill him!"

"Why?!" she snapped, yelling. "He's right there; the scoundrel responsible for wiping out dozens of my family! I have _every_ right to kill him! This is what a true Roman would do!"

The man avoided her death glare. "Reyna, I…I don't have anything that I can say or give you."

"I don't want you to say anything. I want you to scream in agony for a millennia and then suffer in the briny deep for all of eternity. I _want_ you to give me my friends back!"

"Can we please just slow this down?" Annabeth begged. "Reyna, we don't know everything about the situation. He could've been blackmailed or something."

"No, I was perfectly willing," he retorted.

"Not helping!" Annabeth snapped, holding Reyna back as best she could. The praetor looked like it was taking everything not to just break down, fly into a rage and strike down anyone who was within a twenty mile radius. "Just…tell us what happened. Please?"

"…The gods aren't worthy of ruling the world. Kronos and I shared that belief in common, still do. He told me how much better it would be if he had the throne. He told me how sorry he felt at all of the unclaimed demigods, how pained it made him to see so many talented people abused and forgotten by their parents. It started with a simple theft, which quickly escalated into a full-scale war between me and the gods. Last summer, on August 18th, Kronos took full control over my body. He was going to use the Heart of Olympus, the source of the Olympians' power, to remake his own body. He was stopped, weakened enough for me to take back control, by a lone demigod son of Poseidon."

"'P'?" Annabeth wondered.

"The very one," he confirmed. "He said that…the gods' rule was salvageable, and told me about the atrocities that Kronos ordered to happen while he had me under his thumb. I…when I was in control, I stepped into the Heart. It killed me, yes. It also bound both my soul and Kronos' together for all time. Thus, we're one and the same. I'm in control, as it was when the merge happened."

"I don't give a damn who's in control; you're Kronos! You're evil!" Reyna spat at his face. "Come on, Greek, let's just kill him now before he mutinies back to the Titans!"

"I won't do anything of the sort," Annabeth said, standing between the two. "And _I'm_ the leader of the quest, so you have to listen to me," she reasoned. It was flimsy, but it was all she could do to keep the praetor from maiming him. If Reyna attacked right then, Annabeth had no clue what would've happened; she knew she wouldn't have been able to fight her off.

Luke turned away, continuing his story. "I was found by the daughter of Hades. She said she was 'busting me out' when she dragged by soul back up to the mortal world, and led me to Camp Jupiter."

"Where you _lied_ to us! Hornswoggled us!"

"I saw the damage I'd caused. I wasn't going to leave without trying to mend the wound. I know…" he took a deep breath. "I know this is impossible to ask, but I don't want to leave Camp Jupiter yet. I don't know, call me crazy, but I kind of feel like you still need me."

"Idiot! I don't need you for anything!" Reyna's eyes streamed down tears at this point. "I be perfectly fine on my own! You were nothing but a distraction, eating away at my time!"

"Reyna…you need to calm down. We're all just a little worked up from the deal with the Amazons," Annabeth approached, reaching up to comfort her, only to have her hand be swatted away. "

"No! Both of you get away from me!" she yelled, wiping away her tears. "I'll just kill both of you! The quest can be a failure, so long as I can avenge my fallen brothers and sisters!"

Luke stepped in front of Annabeth at the threat, putting an arm out when Reyna raised her sword. "If you try, I won't hesitate to call on Kronos' power to stop you," he warned. Reyna hesitated, starting to break down again. Annabeth pushed past him, stepping around her sword, and bringing her into a hug.

The completely broke then, burying her face into Annabeth's shoulder and letting out of the pain and tears and emotion she'd kept pent up since that day, that horrible day when Tempus had died. It had been so long since she'd cried like this, felt so completely vulnerable. The last time this happened, it was in the hold of the Queen Anne's Revenge, in the arms of her sister after one of the crew had had…fun with her. She'd sent that man overboard as soon as she was captain.

She hated this feeling, and yet it felt so good to experience it and feel the relief set in as it faded. When Reyna separated, Annabeth's shirt was wet when she'd been, soaked through.

"Aw, now that's sweet," the old man spoke up for the first time in a while. Reyna shot him a glare, and then directed it to Luke.

"Whatever trust we may have had is broken," she said. "But…the quest leader's word is law."

"…Thank you. I hope that I can win it back with time," he said. "Let's find a place to camp, outside the city. We all need rest, time to process what happened."

"It'll also give us a chance to question the old geezer," Annabeth agreed.

"I'll carry him," he said, hoisting the man onto his shoulders. Annabeth looked at him weird. "He's Phineas, the blind man who swatted away harpies," he said. "Apparently he sees everything but the world, which would explain how he knew who we are. But he should be dead; I have _no_ idea why he's even here."

"Ooh, looks like you're still perceptive as ever," the blind man commented.

Reyna ignored them all and started north, with the others soon following.

By nightfall they'd made camp in a small wooded area outside the city, as planned. Luke offered to take first watch, but Reyna didn't trust him, so it was up to Annabeth. The old man fell asleep soon after they set up camp, so they all collectively decided to just let him sleep until morning, when they'd be ready to move.

Annabeth expected to have a lot of time with her thoughts, trying to remember how she related to this man, this anomaly. She sat there gazing at him with that odd sense of nostalgia, all the way until the next morning. The sun began to rise, but only just so. He seemed to feel her stare, and sat up. He scratched the back of his head and yawned. "Sleep well?"

"Eh, not really; kind of hard when you don't know if someone will try and run you through with a cutlass," he said, gesturing to Reyna, still sound asleep. "Do you want to give her a little while longer?"

"Even if I didn't think she earned it by getting us free, I don't think we'd be able to wake snoozums over there," she nodded toward Phineas. "So…now that the cat's out of the bag, can you tell me more about yourself? I've been trying to remember all night, but nothing came to me."

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Like…when did I meet you? What was I like as a kid? Stuff like that?"

"Alright. Story time: I met you on the streets. You ran away from home and were being trailed by a pair of low-level Drachanae. I took them out and met up with you, and after that, we just started travelling together."

"Was there anyone else? How old was I?"

"You were seven. I was…thirteen? I don't know, it was so long ago. I remember it wasn't long after I met you that I met…" Luke hesitated, expression darkening. "Thalia…"

And just like that, the gaping wound in his heart opened back up. He recalled some of his final words to her. " _Come watch with me? Because you're my friend. Let's share our last night together,"_ he'd said.

"Luke…?"

"I've seen them all…" he whispered.

"Who's Thalia?" Annabeth spoke a little louder to get his attention.

He took a deep breath. It wouldn't look too good to lose control so easily. "She was a demigod we met up with, started travelling together with her. She was the daughter of Zeus."

"So she could, like, summon lightning?"

"Yeah; it was _so_ cool. The first time I saw it, I thought I was dreaming, and was going to wake up any time. Couldn't believe anyone could've been weirder than me."

Annabeth laughed, which filled Luke with warmth; it'd been nearly a decade since he'd heard her laugh so genuinely.

"Well, go on, tell me what happened," she urged.

"Well, we were on the streets for a while," he continued. "Those were good years, all things considered. Thalia and I were getting closer, I was trying to make the first move, you know; I was young, stupid. She never gave me the time of day, though. You were always by our side too, always reliable. When we got into some trouble, and we got into a _lot_ of trouble, you'd think of a dirty trick to get us out of Dodge. But then…" he hesitated again. "Then we found a man who had the legs of a goat."

"Is that a bad thing?" she wondered. "From your tone, it makes it sound like finding a Faun is a bad omen for Greeks. I mean, sure they're greedy, but-"

"It wasn't Grover finding us that was the problem," Luke interrupted. "It was what came after. He told us about a camp, Camp Half-Blood, up in New York. It would take us a month to get there, but we kept getting distracted and forced to slow down; ended up taking triple that."

"Distracted?"

"See…it's not like we were the only demigods around. Grover noticed some, and after some prodding, we found out that a few were being held captive, ready to be eaten, by a group of Cyclopes. You got us out of that, as usual, although…the stakes were quite a bit higher than usual. I spent seven years at camp with you, and you avoided that encounter every time I brought it up, so I imagine it was pretty traumatic. Anyway, we saved those guys, and then were found more, and more, and more, until there were at least thirty of us. We were _so_ close to camp…but then monsters caught up, and…we were so poorly armed and untrained that…"

"Oh gods…" Annabeth raised a hand to her head. "I think…I think I remember that…it was dark, at night maybe? Thalia wasn't with us, but I remember…flashes. Agh!" a searing pain pierced behind her eye, warning her not to push to recall the memory. "What…what happened?"

"…We were the only two to make it out," he said. "Thalia almost made it, but she collapsed after a bad hit, and her father used her energy to strengthen and widen the camp's borders. She eventually got out, but she still lost eight years of her life, and by then…I was already batting for the other team."

"I…I'm sorry."

"Don't be; it was my choice. I don't regret it," he claimed, before quickly faltering. "Or…I don't think I do…"

"…Luke…it's alright to have regrets. I'm sure, once I get my memories back, I'll have regrets too."

"The issue isn't that I don't want any regrets. The issue is that I have too many already," he said. "And the thought of adding another one to my life is as painful to me as sticking a thousand needles directly into my body."

"It can't be _that_ bad, can it?" she said, chuckling to try and break the tension. It faded soon after Luke looked at her, making eye contact. The distance that that comment caused to form between them…it seemed impassable.

"…Let's just not talk about it," he said after a moment of consideration. He stood. "I'll start getting our stuff together. You wake up Sleeping Valkyrie over there."

"You mean Sleeping Beauty?"

"But you're already awake."

Annabeth would've found that joke funny, if not for the fact that it was used as an excuse that had her react instead of speak to him. " _Just give it time,"_ she told herself. "Reyna," she called, crawling over to the girl. She shook her awake, but it didn't go over too well. Seemingly in reflex, she flailed her arm, landing a directly slap to the Greek's cheek.

"Yeah, I'd get a stick, if I were you," Luke suggested.

The nearest stick was soon found and the incessant poking began. Within minutes, Reyna was awake, albeit barely, and up due to sheer annoyance. She yawned several times, but never seemed to wake up any further. "Alright, camp is all packed," Luke announced. "But the geezer is still asleep."

"Let him, for now," Annabeth said, taking Reyna's hand and forcing her to stand. "What are the odds that the Amazons are combing every inch of the city to find us?" she asked the girl. Reyna rubbed her eye.

"Unlikely; they run the online retail service; no time for search parties," she relayed before yawning again and nearly dropping back down to the ground to go back to sleep.

"Alright, good. Luke, watch Phineas for a while. We're going back into the city to pick up some supplies."

"…Why?"

"Because Alaska is nearly a month's walk and we won't be able to hold out without thicker clothes," Annabeth gestured to Reyna, who was still wearing short shorts. "And more food."

"…I've got a better idea," he said. "You've got yourself a master thief on your side. How about I get us a car while you get her to wake up?"

"You mean steal one?" the daughter of Athena raised an eyebrow, skeptical that he could do it and be carrying Phineas at the same time. "Pick us up in an hour at that Starbucks we passed."

"Which one?"

"I think the street was Redmond Way?"

"Alright, I'll find you. Go, it'll take you longer to get there than it will for be to find us a ride."

With that, the task became convincing a mostly asleep Reyna that a coffee would be worth the half hour trek. Eventually, though, they did make it, and Reyna ordered a caramel iced coffee to start out. Annabeth looked intently at her, looking for any sign of the emotion she said displayed the previous night.

Reyna was looking out to the street, eyes trailing the passersby for but fleeting moments. Then her vision flitted over to Annabeth and the intense gaze she was receiving from the Greek. She looked away again, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Stop staring…" she muttered.

At first, Annabeth was confused. Then she remembered which way Reyna swung, so to speak. "Oh, you're so cute when you're blushing," she teased. The younger girl pouted as she stuck her straw in her mouth to drink. "You know; you're the biggest oxymoron I've ever seen."

"I'm _not_ stupid," she mumbled.

"Both ironic and incorrect," Annabeth said. "How can you be such a light sleeper that I saw you fidget and open your eyes when I stood up to stretch, and yet when the time comes to actually get up, you can't even function without caffeine?"

"Body can sense danger; child of Bellona thing."

"So me stretching is dangerous?"

"Unexpected movements are registered the same way," she muttered. "Call it a curse."

"So, if I were to try and stab you with my straw right now, then you'd suddenly wake up and stop me?" Reyna nodded. "Oh cool."

The younger girl furrowed her brows. "You're taking this new information in good stride, aren't you, lass?"

"You mean about Luke?" Reyna nodded again, sipping her drink. Annabeth shrugged. "Well, it's not like I didn't know before; I just forgot, is all," she offered, to which her conversation partner furrowed her brow. The Greek sighed. "I don't know what you want me to say…I know I _should_ be feeling something more than I am, either…betrayal or shock, even rage."

"Yeah, you should."

"But…all I can manage is a kind of relief?"

The praetor's jaw hung open slightly. "You're happy to see him, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"He's a monster, to the core. He killed dozens of my friends, and probably more of yours."

"That wasn't his fault," Annabeth returned.

"How do you know, amnesiac?"

Annabeth tried to recall a memory in her favor, but nothing came, just like every other time she tried to remember. "I…I don't-"

"He may have been a good lad once, but after a certain point, you can't go back. The fact that he's trying is-"

"Inspiring?"

"Pathetic."

"Only if you don't let him try and make up for it."

"Tch, it isn't even worth the trouble."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"Think about it, lass. You said he died. The prophecy says ' _Death unleashed it is your fate, but two alive shall bear the weight.'_ If I were a betting girl, I'd say that mean we, us two, have to meet Letus."

"Thanatos," Annabeth translated. "So?"

"So…his job is to keep dead souls in the Underworld. What do you think he'll do when he sees the traitor? Take him right back where he belongs, that's what."

Annabeth considered that for a moment. She hadn't thought about the prophecy since she'd received it; call it a phantom memory. She didn't worry too much about it, since it was what would pass absolutely, so why bother worrying? "That's…possible. But-"

"In fact, monsters have been resurrecting too fast lately. With the storm brewing over Olympus, it wouldn't surprise me if Letus got himself into trouble with whatever the 'threat' is that this Greek/Roman exchange deal was made to prepare for."

"So you think he might be captured?" the Greek clarified, to which Reyna nodded and finished her drink. Strangely, it didn't seem too implausible. She had a feeling a god or two had been captured before. In fact, she knew it had, because Hephaestus would often capture his wife when she was off having affairs with Ares. "In that case, we should probably get moving."

"Well, we've only got five minutes to wait. Then we can go."

Annabeth nodded. "So…if you don't mind me asking…I'm curious as to your sister."

"…No."

"But, I mean…it's not normal for siblings to hate each this much, you know?"

"You have to earn this, remember?"

"Hey, you're the one who cried into my chest for like twenty minutes last night," Annabeth pointed out, making Reyna blush furiously.

"Oh gods, I _did,_ didn't I?" she covered her face. She stole a glance at the older girl and saw her smirking. "Wipe that off your goddamn face _right_ now!" she hissed.

"Aw, you're cute again," she teased. "But seriously, I'm really curious. You don't _have_ to tell me, but it's not like I haven't seen your vulnerable side before."

Reyna sighed, knowing that she was right. "…If you deserve to hear it, then…so does he…"

"Oh, putting faith in him so soon again?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, lass. Irrelevant as to who he is, it was my fault his life was in danger yesterday. Even if I wish he _had_ died in the fight, I still can't-"

"I get it, Roman honor and all that, right?"

"Right…"

"Oh, there he is now," the girls stood. "Come on."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry, no time to proofread. We have, after today, two chapters until I stop posting daily. Just a warning.**

 **See you tomorrow!**


	30. Remember That

Luke had picked up the least conspicuous car imaginable: a Mazda, kind of a dull gray color; very unnoticeable. Soon, they were off north. Annabeth was eager to get to the conversation at hand, but first they had to deal with logistics. "So, Phineas. Any idea where we're going?"

"Of course I do."

"Really? Where?"

"Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, of course. That's where you'll all probably die at the hands of the Demigod Slayer."

"Who?"

"They say he's the strongest monster; able to kill any demigod he meets."

"Oh, neat," Annabeth said, before leaning over him, opening the car door, and then pushing him out, before closing the door again. She then climbed into the passenger seat, leaving Reyna in the back by herself. "Phew, glad he's out of here."

"Tell me about it; dude smelled like eight day old feet," Luke agreed. "So, looks like you're finally awake," he noted, seeing Reyna looking out the window from his rear-view mirror. She didn't even spare him a glance.

"Reyna, you were gonna tell us about your sister?"

"The one from the island and the pirate ship?" Luke questioned.

"Oh, she told you about that?"

"Yeah, back at camp," he said, before both listened intently to the youngest of the group.

"…She doesn't like me."

"We gathered."

"I wasn't finished. She doesn't like me because she thinks I don't deserve what I get. She nearly started a war with us when I made praetor, and it goes all the way back to the pirate days. The wench was jealous, even back then."

"Why? _You_ killed Blackbeard, right?"

"I'm more curious as to why she called you a coward," Annabeth said. "I mean, you're one of the most fearless people I know."

"You 'know' less than ten people," Reyna pointed out.

"Semantics," she said, urging her to explain.

Reyna took a deep breath. "…That's because…I…freeze up," she said, nearly doing so right then at the prospect of revealing her greatest weakness. "It happened with Blackbeard; the fool was stupid and drunk enough to trip into his own sword while I was holding it. It would've happened on my praetorship quest, if not for my lad being there for me. And…it happened with the Titans, twice."

xxxXXXxxx

 _The idea of camp ever being attacked was ridiculous to Reyna, let alone with such ferocity and swiftness. There was some commotion outside, likely from members of different cohorts participating in a dick-measuring contest of some kind, so the senators elected to ignore it. The issue with that was that it_ wasn't _the cohorts, or any Roman at all._

 _Everyone within the building was sent tumbling to the floor underneath a pile of rubble when a massive phantom slash tore through the upper half of the building, making it collapse onto them._

 _Miraculously, from the cries of confusion rather than pain, Reyna could gather that at least most of them weren't hurt. Reyna later learned that Jason was willed the domed top to fall over the small circle of senators, shielding them from most of the damage, but not all. "What the hell was that?" the daughter of Bellona shoved a pillar off of her with her superhuman strength. Tempus, who'd been beside her, had managed to get away with not having much fall on her, save for a somewhat nasty gash on her leg. They looked to the others, and quickly uncovered them._

 _Some had some nasty wounds from the debris, but nothing was fatal. As Tempus checked for other injuries, Reyna looked out to New Rome._

 _Most of what she saw was rubble, collapsed buildings everywhere. Campers, young and old, were being slaughtered. Unarmed, the monsters that had overrun the city had easy pickings. "Oh gods…" Hazel put a hand to her mouth, seeing the streets run red with blood. Others had similar reactions. But all Reyna felt was a burning rage._

 _She drew Tabula Rasa, and charged, tearing her way through whatever monster got into her path. Most of them, to a trained Roman warrior, were fodder. Some were more threatening; for example, the gorgons (minus Medusa herself) were present. Reyna had to be careful of half of their blood._

 _While she was doing this, Tempus had ordered the Centurions to gather their cohorts for a counterattack, to rally within the barracks and to wait further orders._

" _Where's your leader?!" Reyna spat at one of the monsters. "Who did this?!"_

" _I should ask you the same thing," she heard behind her. She turned and saw a man, though that could be debated. He was easily ten feet tall, brutish in physique, wielding a massive battle axe which looked to be made of starlight. Reyna wouldn't have batted an eye, she'd fought large monsters before, but he was no monster. His eyes were icy cold, his form so overpoweringly dominant that Reyna's own bravado seemed like that of an ant standing up to a human._

" _W…who…?"_

" _Krios, Titan of the Stars," he introduced. "And you. You're dead."_

 _And just like that, he was on her. She raised her blade to block the strike, but he didn't strike. The force of his swing was enough to send her flying into the principia._

 _She stood shakily, dumbfounded that there was a being this powerful, other than the gods, of course. "Tell me where the boy is," Krios demanded when he caught up to her. She hadn't moved an inch from where she stood. Her legs wouldn't respond to her, wouldn't move even to run away. "The son of Jupiter; tell me where he is."_

" _J…Jason…?" Reyna could barely form thoughts, he mind slowing to a crawl as she was met with this overwhelming force of nature._

 _She numbly registered that there were onlookers, veterans who were without arms, so she couldn't hope for backup. She'd been knocked halfway across the city, so the chance that Jason was nearby was fairly low. "I will not ask again. Tell me what where he is, or I'll-"_

 _Reyna's mind jolted away from reality, as she wasn't faced by the Titan any longer, but by a mere mortal man. "I'll have you walk the plank, you daft bitch!" Blackbeard spat. Reyna had become his chambermaid, alongside Hylla. He'd gotten particularly drunk, dropped his sword. He was so far gone that he assumed Reyna was going to kill him when he picked up his blade to return it to him. The sword had been drawn, the sheath still on his belt. Reyna silently begged for Hylla to help her, but she didn't, only watched as Blackbeard stood in a rage and stumbled over to Reyna with the intent to throttle her. Hylla was probably telling her to run, but he legs wouldn't move then either. Only with the rock of the ship did Reyna move, falling backwards, sword in hand. Blackbeard tripped as well, falling right into the blade._

 _The daughter of Bellona was blasted back into reality, having been attacked again. Unconsciously, he body had blocked the blow, but she was once again sent flying. She landed hard in the street, her hands and knees scraping against the pavement and getting bloody in the process. Reyna didn't even stand._

 _Krios walked up to her, with the intent to kill. He never made it._

 _A flash of yellow raced across Reyna's vision, as Tempus engaged the Titan of the Stars in a one-on-one duel, actually managing to force him back slightly from the surprise. She was armed with a gladius, but very little armor._

 _Reyna barely registered when the fight was taken to another part of the city. She barely registered anything at all until the entire city shook from a massive burst of power. Reyna stood, shuffling wearily over to the source of the rumbling. She saw Jason, eyes engulfed in a sickening white light, blasting lightning around haphazardly in an attempt to simply overpower the Titan. It wasn't working, and Jason never hit his opponent once. Instead, lightning arced out into the buildings, the people surrounding him, and anything it touch was destroyed, blasted into little pieces._

 _Krios left at one point, and Jason continued his rampage, completely blinded by rage. Rage at what? Reyna didn't find out until after he regained himself. He looked around, alone and horrified, and immediately went digging in the rubble, for something…someone._

 _Seeing Jason so broken, Reyna knew she had to be the one to take charge; it was her duty as praetor, the only praetor they had left. She began ordering search parties, emergency firefighting, anything to help keep the chaos at a minimum now that the threat had passed. And yet, she saw Jason do nothing, just watch everything unfold, acting as numb as she felt._

 _xxxXXXxxx_

The other two were silent for a moment, so Reyna continued. "…That night, there was unanimous decision for a counterattack. I froze up there too, but then, Jason was there. It worked out for the best; he wouldn't have been able to do what he did if he wasn't so angry at the thought of my death…" she trailed off, leaning back in her seat.

"Reyna…it wasn't your fault," Annabeth said, trying to offer some comforting words. They only made the girl mad.

"Yes it was!" she snapped. "I froze up when they needed me at the helm! I always lock up when I see something like that; I can't even _try_ to help! I can't…" her voice caught, and she took a deep breath. "…I'm the epitome of a modern Roman…and I'm nothing but a coward."

"Wow, Reyna, I…I don't know what to say," Luke said.

"Because there's nothing _to_ say. Let's just…let's just not talk about it."

"But-" Luke started to argue, but Annabeth stopped him.

"Whatever you need," she said, before changing the subject. Reyna quickly tuned their conversation out. Her mind drifted to Tempus. " _I'm sorry. I should've treated you better,"_ said, checking their belongings and finding that Annabeth had retrieved the notebook. She opened it up, seeing two new entries. It was a good thing she saw these two at the same time, given how the first ended. She would've been put in an even worse mood.

"My dearest friend,

It seems we meet again. Let us talk about Jason in more detail. He's both of our responsibilities, as either his direct superior, or his maternal figure, though I suspect that, at least at one point in our time together, he thought of me in a different way.

Unfortunately, I realized very early on that it would never work between us. Despite the age difference, however small it was, he was very open towards me when we arrived together. We found ourselves both in the Fifth, as you know, so I was able to spend most everyday with him. I look back fondly on those years, though I lament not helping him more with his own issues. I was trying to work my way into being a Centurion, which I never succeeded in doing, while he was working so hard on so many other things.

I recall that at first he didn't have any grand aspirations. He was intrigued by this new world, yes, but he retained his ability to see the magic in little things. I found him oftentimes just sitting under a tree, observing the world around him. Part of me wonders if this was an early form of his now common practice of daily meditation, but I truly don't think so.

His appreciation for beauty inspires me to this day, and it's his innocence that I remember that kept my light shining in my darkest moments. Though, perhaps we won't speak of those. Nevertheless, he drew a picture for me, a few years after our coming here. I treasure it always. My biggest regret is not pushing Jason to pursue the arts more. Camp Jupiter heavily lacks in artistically creative minds, and I believe Jason would've made some real masterpieces should he have been given the chance. Instead, he took up the spear, and the rest is history.

From how I knew him, Jason was never bad at anything. In my reading, I discovered that a demigod with great talent in anything they try is called an omnibus. If I had to bet on it, I'd say that Jason is one of them. For this reason, unlike you and I, he was able to reach out and try various activities. From drawing and painting, to writing both creatively and technically, to engineering, to being a historian, or whatever else went through his head that appeared interesting.

That being said, there was one thing he struggled with. It was due in no part to his lack of talent, but rather his unwillingness to try. That was his demigod powers. As a son of the mighty Jupiter, he could utilize both aerokinetic and fulminokinetic abilities. He had the potential to become the single strongest demigod to ever live, and yet he was too afraid.

I understood why. The first time he used his lightning was when he discovered it as he and I were training as children. He almost immediately lost control and shocked me. I went into a coma for three days afterward. I doubt he ever told you that story, but it's a true one.

I was never afraid of lightning, even after the incident. In fact, I was more curious than anything. He quickly got control over his aerokinetic abilities, able to fly around camp with ease. He told me it was easy to skate on air, referencing how he learned to skateboard after we found one during his and my trek from the Wolf House to camp. He learned many tricks with his air-based powers, many of which he learned how to adapt into combat.

Eventually, he tried lightning again. This was shortly before he was chosen for the yearly quest, the one in which he found you. If you were wondering why, if he used them at all, his powers seemed so erratic, now you know that he was only just learning.

In any case, it was only a couple of months later that he gave up again, because he lost control. At your behest, he pushed himself farther than I felt he should have gone. Under controlled circumstances, this would've been fine, but you pushed him during the war games and it nearly cost twelves brothers and sisters their lives.

He came to me for guidance that night, and, despite my protestations, vowed that he would never resort to using his lightning again. From that day on, I have only ever seen sparks when he was very angry. But there was no lightning, no danger, all because of the guilt he feels from that day.

Because of you. Remember that, when you try and push someone.

Your Tammy"

Reyna moved onto the next entry immediately after.

"My dearest friend,

I apologize for how my last update ended. I meant every word with every clear intention presented, but the presentation itself was less than tactful. The truth is that I'm not perfect. I'm bitter, to a fault, and can get easily jealous. On the subject of flaws, however, let us speak about fatal flaws.

You might not know what they are, as Camp Jupiter's various introductory courses fail to mention them anywhere.

Every demigod possesses a fatal flaw; they are our greatest strength and our greatest weakness, depending on how they're used for or against us. They can manifest themselves in a variety of ways, but they are more or less constant for each child of a particular god. For example, my brother and I share a fatal flaw, though it manifests itself differently between us.

That being said, let me now explain to you what our fatal flaws are, including Jason, as I believe you'll be dealing closely with him once I depart.

To get him out of the way, Jason's fatal flaw, as a child of Jupiter, is excessive selfishness. He tends to want things a lot and he expects things to go well for him. Or at least that's how he was, before we discovered ours. Once he became aware of his flaw, he started working to negate it. This is why he meditates, to put him in a calmer, more rational state that isn't based on prior expectations.

Unfortunately, I fear that in many ways his flaw has just reversed itself, as he's now obnoxiously selfless. Still, I believe it's an improvement.

I have little to say of his flaw, since he's already taken many steps on his own to deal with it. I have not done this for my flaw.

Mine is excessive pride, or hubris. If I had to guess, I would say that many of my other less desirable personality traits stem from this flaw. For example, my jealousy could come from me not understanding why a person would choose something inferior to perhaps what I made, or why a man would choose someone other than me.

For my brother, whose main identity lies in the texts of ancient Rome, his pride is personified by his rules. His whole world is based around the rules and regulations of Camp Jupiter. He takes his pride in following them to a T, and when he can't do that, it tears him up inside. I'm sure you know this about him, though.

Taking an honest look at myself, being as unbiased as possible, I still cannot bring myself to dislike my supposed flaw. Taking pride in one's work and one's mind isn't wrong. Sometimes, when I go to sleep, I just lay awake and wonder if our ancestors were wrong about the fatal flaw. Perhaps they were all just reckless. If I'd have been in their shoes, I would've easily accomplished whatever task the gods could throw at me.

But then, that might be my pride talking. The brutal truth is that I can't do everything. Jason is more capable than me, which feels both satisfying and extremely disheartening. I want to do so much good for Camp Jupiter and even the world, but I know that Jason will accomplish more. I know that you will accomplish more as well.

But with that, let's move onto you.

I found it difficult to believe your flaw at first, given your tales of being a pirate captain. Your fatal flaw is excessive trepidation. In case that word isn't in your vocabulary, it means that you're very anxious or worried as your fatal flaw. Given your braggadocio, I, again, found it very hard to believe. And yet, it makes a lot of sense when I look at your sister.

She was very anxious about Camp Jupiter, as you both just came from a hell on earth from the world of the gods. So, she left for the Amazons, who serve no god. When I look at you, I can imagine it manifests itself in your constant need for justification. You demand praise and glory, as a true Roman would, according to Mother. You're strong and you know it, and demand to be treated as such. You embody Rome in the most violent form of its ideal. Just as Bellona is the Roman pantheon's greatest warrior, you, it seemed, were destined to become Rome's greatest weapon.

And yet, I can't help but find this disconcerting. Perhaps it is due to my recent experiences on the quest, but I can't shake the feeling that your flaw means more than this. My only evidence to this is that it hasn't gotten you killed yet, which, admittedly, mine hasn't either. Yet. But still, yours, statistically, should have probably gotten you killed by now.

Unless it's come close, in which case, you've been hiding it from me. Perhaps I'll ask you about it directly.

No, I don't think I will. You obviously don't trust me enough, and rightly so, given my change in mindset since my return. Still, if by some miracle nothing has come up yet and you're reading this, then hopefully it will help you.

If something has happened, though, and even worse, if it was because of one of our flaws, then at least now you can understand a bit more.

And with that, I'll leave you for now.

Your Tammy"

Tears stained the page as she finished. Reyna quickly wiped them away, as he frustration built and built. " _Is this a sick joke, Tammy?"_ she thought. " _You're damn right I hid it from you, that embarrassingly display with Thatch…Could you see the future or something? Are you mocking me?"_

And yet, as Tempus had predicted, Reyna found a strange sort of clarity in finally knowing about her flaw. Of course, this was counterbalanced, when she thought about how, despite her rejections, shared one commonality with her sister.

" _Hylla…I'm sorry…"_

xxxXXXxxx

The group had stopped before they made it to Hubbard Glacier. They'd had to travel on foot once they reached a certain point on the highway, travelling southwest until they figured they were about half a day's hike to their destination. Thankfully, Reyna had gotten more suitable clothes; all of them were bundled up. They had but four or five hours of daylight, and after that it was as harsh as the Underworld.

Thankfully, they'd "procured" several supplies, including those extra clothes, hot hands (because they had to be ready to grip and swing a sword at any time), and plenty of food.

After setting up a fire, Luke passed around the grub and they ate, mostly in silence. Annabeth couldn't tell whether it was the cold or their respective reveals that kept the two silent, but neither felt it necessary to converse with either each other or Annabeth. She let it be; they could work out their problems when they weren't busy fighting both monsters and hypothermia.

But that doesn't mean she let them go without speaking to her. "I'll take first watch," Luke offered, this being the third time he'd done so in the four days since his identity was revealed. It also marked the third time he was rejected.

Reyna crossed her arms. "Then I'm not sleeping."

Luke didn't argue, just got into a mental battle in the form of a staring contest. "…I'll stay up with him; we'll wake you up in around five hours," Annabeth said, sighing and pulling the blanket she'd brought close. Reluctantly, the praetor agreed to that, and crawled into the tent that they set up.

The two sat there for a while, listening to the crackle of the fire. Unlike that weird Roman flower in New Rome, this fire _had_ a crackle to it. "So," Luke finally spoke. "What do you think of your first quest? Pretty fun, right?"

"Yeah, getting attacked every three seconds is super fun," her lips curled up slightly into a smile. "Also, I don't think it's my first quest. I've got too many images of exotic places in my head for it to have been my first."

"Well, you got me there," he said. "And what about Camp Jupiter, and the Romans? What do you think of them?"

"…I want to feel empathy for them. Too bad I don't feel much of anything about their problems. That, and there's this nagging in my head not to trust them."

"You could probably attribute a lot of that to what you've experienced yourself," Luke said. "You may not remember, but you probably put up with the most abuse out of any of your immediate allies, back when Kronos rose up. Maybe not just physical, maybe not just mentally, but altogether, I think there's an argument."

"Wish I could defend or deny it," she pouted. "And anyway, let's talk about you. I don't want to talk about me anymore; not much fun when I don't remember what you're talking about."

"And talking about my past is different?"

"Well…if I remembered, I'd probably be really depressed. Now, though, I can look at it a bit more objectively. At least, I think I can."

"Uh-huh…alright. Um…what do you want to know?"

"Well, before we start, I, uh…just wanted to apologize for how our last talk ended. I didn't mean to be so insensitive," she said, turning away, embarrassed.

A silence formed between them. Luke was the first to break it, a few agonizing seconds later. "And just like that…you made it awkward," he smiled. "Apology accepted."

"Great. So…I have a _lot_ of questions, but I figure most of them will be answered when I get my memories back. One thing I'm really curious about right now, though, is why you ever chose to side with Kronos. You're a son of Hermes, right? What was so bad about him?"

"You _always_ have to ask the tough questions, don't you?" Luke frowned. His face lost color, like the memories made him sick, and he looked at the fire, contemplative. "…I ask myself that every day. I ask myself 'why did I do it? And…I don't really have an answer, at least not one that you'd find satisfactory."

"H-how do you mean?" the daughter of Athena questioned cautiously, not wanting him to retreat from her again.

"The short answer is because Kronos tricked me. He's a master of manipulation. Besides Prometheus, he's the smartest of the Titans, and besides Atlas, he's the strongest too. He had the know-how to trick me so completely, and then when I was at my most vulnerable, he had enough strength to wrestle control of my body away from me, at least until his own was remade in the Heart of Olympus."

"…You blame yourself," Annabeth guessed.

Luke nodded, his eyes closing, hiding from the pain. "…It'd be so easy to just blame Kronos, blame the gods, blame my father for ignoring me, but our lives aren't meant to be easy. Our lives are painful, arduous, wearying. Difficult. If I accepted that Kronos had just controlled me, then I might be stupid enough to waltz back up to Olympus with that excuse and expect them to accept me back with open arms. If I truly believed that, then I'd be giving him free reign to take control of me again, and I _can't_ let that happen. I _won't_ let that happen."

"And…the weapon thing, why you never use one?"

"…Immortals can summon their weapons at will, so long as it's in their possession when it gets willed away, but it's even easier, almost subconscious, to make it from another weapon," he explained numbly. "…I can't trust myself not to lose control, not unless I have someone there who can stop me if I need to be stopped."

"'P'?" Annabeth guessed. The man nodded, his eyes fixated on the fire. "Luke…you _do_ regret it, don't you? After everything, you regret what you did?"

"…Yes."

"Well, don't."

"W…what?"

"Were you the only one to side against the gods," Annabeth challenged. Speechless, Luke shook his head. "And did _they_ have Kronos whispering sweet lies into their ears the whole time?" he shook his head. "I thought not."

"But-"

"But nothing," she said, crossing her arms.

"Annabeth…dozens of people died; your _friends_ died, because of what I did."

"I'm well apprised to that fact."

"Then why are you telling me I shouldn't regret my choice? Did you remember something? Do you know something I don't?"

She grinned. "I don't remember a thing. But I can gather that _you're_ the one who led those people, not Kronos. People who abandoned the gods just like you, who needed a place to go to feel needed and, more importantly, feel wanted. You not only gave them that place, but you taught them too."

"What? What did _I_ teach them?"

She held up a finger. "Personal responsibility; that your life in in your own hands, that you make your own fate," she relayed. The words sounded familiar. Luke chuckled.

"Heh, sounds like something P- would say," he muttered, confirming her feeling of familiarity. "…I need time to think on that," he said, smiling despite himself. "But I'll say this; loyalty to each other…that was something I put forward right when they joined. Protect each other to the last man…stand opposed to anyone who threatens us, and stand as one."

"Spoken like a true leader," Annabeth said before yawning.

"Hey…tell you what; I'll take over watch from here, okay? You deserve some rest."

"Um…you sure? I mean, Sleeping Valkyrie is right over there."

"I'm sure she'll be fine with it," he insisted. As a few more tries, Luke got the quest leader to agree, snuggling close to him.

Little did they know that Reyna had been awake and listening the whole time. Strangely…she _did_ find herself alright knowing that he was taking watch. " _Personal responsibility…to the better…stand as one…"_ she pondered the disparate concepts, feeling herself slowly drift off. Soon, Luke was the only one of the trio that was awake.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for a late upload, and unfortunately, tomorrow will be late as well. I was with friends after work and tomorrow I have rehearsal, so...fun times.**

 **Anyway, this is the penultimate chapter for The Son of Neptune. It's quite a bit shorter and probably won't have as much "oomph", but I promise; it's but a taste of what's to come. Trust me.**

 **With that said, I'm eager to read your thoughts, and I'll see you tomorrow!**


	31. To Call It A Truth

Hubbard Glacier at last. Honestly, it wasn't too impressive, when compared to Camp Jupiter. At least, that's what Reyna thought about it upon seeing it. Though, maybe it was the lighting; a dark overcast sky was above them, as far as the eye could see. It didn't exactly do the whole snowy landscape justice.

"Can't wait to get back home…" Reyna complained, popping up her collar and pulling it tight against the fierce wind that bit into the questers as they walked.

"That's _if_ we make it back," Luke reminded them.

" _You mean if you make if back,"_ Reyna couldn't help but think. " _And then you'll be alone again…or you might be anyway; there's no way I can keep his secret, don't even_ want _to. He_ should _die today."_

"We will; we _all_ will," Annabeth assured, walking at the front. "I'm making sure of it."

"Ooh, you sure sound confident," Luke commented.

"One of us has to," she said. "Look; what's that over there?" she pointed the ahead of them. Luke pulled out some binoculars, an item he'd procured from the last town they visited.

"Looks like a rock."

"A rock? Like…a boulder? But there's a shiny thing on it, right?" Annabeth said, squinting. "That's a, uh…technical term."

Reyna snatched the binoculars out of his hands. "By the gods, I thought I'd never see it…" she muttered. "Feast your eyes, lads and lasses, on our lost Eagle."

Annabeth took her look next, seeing a boulder protruding from the ice, with a golden stick protruding from the top of that, and on top of _that_ was an eagle. "Whoa…" Annabeth gave Luke his toy back. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get it!" she started running.

"Hey, wait up!" Reyna dashed after her.

Luke was smirking. "…It's like travelling with two hyperactive puppies," he commented, jogging after them both.

Annabeth found herself laughing; good thing too, because in about three and a half seconds, there wouldn't be anything to laugh about. Reyna was tempted to laugh with her until she suddenly felt an unmistakable tug in her gut. Her vision shifted subconsciously, as the light from a massively powerful aura shone above them, getting stronger with every second. "Look out!" Reyna dove, having caught up. She tackled Annabeth out of the way of a sudden impact from above.

The two stood as fast as possible to face their new enemy, but he was just standing there. He stood about as tall as Luke, as easy comparison since he was standing right in front of the host of Kronos. Sporting a snazzy suit and a fedora you'd find just as easily on Al Capone as this guy, he looked like a business executive, if not for his eyes; deep, beady, never wavering. It was as if he was daring _you_ to look away when he looked in your direction.

"Why hello there," he said, taking off his hat. "It's my pleasure."

"W…who…?" Annabeth looked him up and down; he looked like he'd fit right in at Camp Jupiter, if you aged him down about fifteen years and put some Roman armor on him. "Who are you?"

"Now that's just rude, don't ya think?" he said. "But fine. I am your God."

"Excuse me?" Annabeth looked to Reyna for confirmation, and the fear in the younger girl's eyes were enough to make her weary. Reyna saw this man's aura, his power. It was almost deadly to even look at it, let alone stand up to him.

"We…we need to run…" she muttered. "We…can't fight that…" she tried to step away, to start running, but her legs turned to lead in his presence. Annabeth noticed them shaking. She stepped in front of her protectively.

"Leave us alone, and we won't have to hurt you, whoever you are."

The man laughed. It didn't sound humorous. "You should listen to the Aduro, little girl. While I might let you live, because I want you, she has no place in my world."

"You're a mouthy bastard, aren't you?" Annabeth drew her dagger, still weary as Reyna hasn't even made a move for her sword yet. "I guess you're the Demigod Slayer that we were told about?"

"Demi- pft, I think you might have the wrong idea," he grinned, pearly white blinding. "I told you I was your God. It's nothing more complicated than that."

"Then make me disappear," Annabeth dared. Reyna's heart nearly stopped.

" _Why are you asking to die?"_

"No, because I want you," he licked his lips. "I would've _preferred_ the son of Poseidon to be here right now, but you had to go and be rational. Now him…ooh…he's a _perfect_ creation, perfect to be with me _forever_ …"

"What are you talking about?"

"Who cares?! We need to run away!" Reyna cried, nearly in tears from her fear. Her heart felt like it might beat out of her chest, but her legs still refused to move.

The man frowned. "Your welching is annoying me," he stated, holding up his hand. "Pay attention, child of wisdom; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see God's hand at work!"

Before any of them knew what happened, a massive burst of energy shot out. It came within a fraction of second of him willing it to come, too fast for even Reyna's natural instincts as a child of Bellona could even see, let alone react to. And yet, she wasn't hit.

Reyna looked behind her, seeing a gaping hole where the ice used to be. If a line were to be drawn from the man's hand and the impact, it would've missed Reyna by just a few centimeters.

Where the man was, surprised that he missed, Luke was there. Using Kronos' power, he'd halted time to move the man's hand just enough to make him miss. Before the man could retaliate, Luke moved away using the same power.

Luke opened his eyes. They'd changed from their piercing blue to a golden color, though there was a small ring of blue around his pupil. Before their eyes, his form glowed. In a wave of light, Luke's entire appearance changed, from his street clothes to a set of stunning black armor; Kronos armor that he never wore during the Titan War, as he'd felt Luke's body would've tainted it. Now in control, Luke summoned it with ease. He then swiped his hand through the air, a distortion forming along its path until a curved blade was formed. Luke grip and swung, and suddenly, a massive scythe was in his grasp, ready to use.

"Luke…" Annabeth muttered his name. " _I can't trust myself not to lose control,"_ she recalled him saying, eyeing trailing the brilliant weapon of the Titan Lord.

"Oh…we have a _new_ challenger, I see," he turned to face Luke. "Good, Kronos never had mortal children; this is a unique opportunity for me, as well."

"If you think I'll let you kill me, you've got another thing coming," Luke warned, readying the scythe.

"Your compliance is void in face of your God's demands," the man spread his arms out to his sides, daring Luke to attack.

He briefly turned to their other two questers. "Go, I'll distract him," he said.

"…We'll come back as soon as we can," Annabeth said, before grabbing Reyna's hand and dragging her toward the rock.

Luke's attention went back to his mystery opponent. "Kronos is telling me to run," he noted.

"Because he knows his place."

"Good thing we disagree, right, Porphyrion?"

The man frowned again. "…I had thought that name dead."

"Not dead, just forgotten," Luke said. "Let's fix that."

"Yes, let us drive that name into dirt and make way for a better one to be remembered as the word of God."

And then, the two charged; Porphyrion with his natural speed, and Luke keeping up using his time dilation.

xxxXXXxxx

With Annabeth there to offer support, Reyna got her legs to move again, and her throat to work to breathe. Her hand, the one that Annabeth wasn't holding, might as well have been glued to her blade's hilt, ready to whip it out within a fraction of second; she couldn't afford anything less than that with someone this strong.

" _Who are you kidding?"_ she mocked herself. " _You're just gonna freeze up again. Coward."_

She would've berated herself further, if not for the fact that they made it to the boulder. "Hey, give me a boost," Annabeth suggested. With a curt nod, Reyna cupped her hands and threw the Greek up to the top of the rock. The Eagle was heavier than she expected, but it didn't take too much effort to take it out from where it'd been embedded. "So I'm hoping this thing has some kind of great power."

"Let's hope so," Reyna agreed, seeing the fight drawing closer. "…We should just run and leave him."

"No," Annabeth said immediately. "Not when he's risking his life to protect us. We should return the favor."

"And what will we do?" Reyna questioned. "Against something like that? We're powerless!"

"No we're not. We're _never_ powerless; even if we can't win the battle, we can win the war."

"You're saying…to run away?"

"All three of us," she confirmed. Before they could formulate a plan, however, the rock behind them shifted. It raised a couple of inches, enough to making a scraping and rumbling noise to get their attention. Confused, Annabeth knelt down and examined underneath, seeing a cloaked figure trapped under the rock. "Or four of us."

"What?" Reyna took a look. "Is that how I think it is? Letus?"

"Wanna bet he'll help us if we help him?" Reyna nodded, eager to be of service to a god. The two took up positions. "You're gonna help too, right?" he asked Thanatos. They heard a small whistle of air, which they hoped meant yes. "Alright, together!"

With all of their strength, they two demigods, with the help of Thanatos, were able to free him. The boulder flew off, and Thanatos was gone in an instant, flying straight toward the battle.

xxxXXXxxx

Luke felt a chill run down his spine as he was busy parrying Porphyrion's attacks, trying desperately to keep the Giant focused on him. He barely saw the killing blow coming out of the corner of his eye. Blindly, Luke fell backwards into a back handspring, having just avoided an attack that would've taken off his head.

The battle stopped. The chill persisted down Luke's spine, made worse by the fact that keeping up this level of power from Kronos was exhausting. Thankfully, he hadn't tried taking over, though that could be attributed to how he feared Porphyrion.

But Luke had a new problem; Death himself was standing before him, or…floating before him. Carrying a scythe of his own, made from melded together bones of monsters, Thanatos took the form of only a cloak, with not even a physical hand to wield the scythe he held; try wrapping your head around that one.

Soon, before sides were made and the fighting resumed, Annabeth and Reyna caught up, joining Luke. Porphyrion dashed, once again, too fast for Reyna to react, so Luke had to pick up the slack. He stretched Kronos' time dilation and parried the blow. Reyna acted on pure instinct, seeing an opportunity, once she could process what happened, to launch her own attack, getting off several stabs with her blade. Though she hit her mark, no blood was spilled. Porphyrion yawned.

Annabeth's turn; she vaulted over Reyna into an overhead slash with Trident, scraping down Porphyrion's chest until it embedded itself into his ribcage. The man grinned, his teeth too perfect to be natural. He grabbed her dagger by the blade, letting it sink into his fingers, and pulled it out. "Excuse me, miss, but I think you misplaced your toothpick," he said before tossing it, along with her, away, a good twenty feet.

Luke didn't dare move after taking the hit for Reyna, mostly for fear of how Thanatos would react. However, seeing that, for now, they had a common enemy, Death turned his attention to that enemy, charging forward with several scythe slashes which seemed to actually damage the Giant a small bit. He stepped back, seeming almost dazed by the flurry of attacks. Almost.

"Why thank you, sir, may I have another?" he mocked. "I've gotta tell you, I'm disappointed by you all. With two god-tier guys and Rome's supposed greatest weapon (and another demigod somewhere), I was expecting to at least sweat a little," he said, any wounds he'd sustained having been healed by time. "Though, at least from the Aduro, I should've expected to be disappointed," Reyna growled at him like Mother would've to try and intimidate him, but the moment he looked in her direction, she stopped, freezing again like a deer in the headlights. "Speaking of, I believe I told you that you've overstayed your welcome," his voice lowered into a threat, his aura radiating a bloodlust like Reyna had never seen. And then he was on her. Luke, too exhausted to stop time again so soon, could only watch. Reyna saw the attack coming, barely; it must've been slower to give her an inkling of hope. She saw it, but didn't have the time to bring up her arm to block it, and she was smashed into the ice, cracking it, but not breaking it.

Reyna doubted that wasn't intentional; this thing wanted to see her die by _his_ hand, not drown in a frozen lake. She tried to get up, but was picked up by her hair and shoved into the ground again, and only then had enough time passed for the others to try and help her.

Half of Reyna's vision was red from blood seeping down from her forehead, but she was at least still conscious, somehow. Porphyrion looked to be going for another round, when a chain whipped across his face from behind the praetor, distracting him just long enough for Luke to give him his hardest shove, enhanced by Kronos' power, getting him away from Reyna.

The girl was grabbed by the arm and hoisted to her feet. "Hey, ship needs her captain still," Hylla said, snapping in front of Reyna's face a few times to make sure she was alright. "Don't go dying on me yet."

"You…you filthy wench," Reyna muttered, spitting up some blood from the gum she'd slit. "Why are you here?"

"Because one of us had to be better," Hylla said as attention returned to Porphyrion, who seemed only mildly interested in the Amazon's appearance. "Who's he?"

"An enemy," Annabeth said simply, not having the time to explain fully. The Giant's gaze shifted from one person to another, lazily.

"Well, this is inconvenient," he mumbled, relaxing his stance.

"Give it up; it's five on one," Hylla said.

"And yet you all still have little hope of beating me," the Giant grinned again. He shrugged. "But alas, such is my way of life."

"Why bother fighting? We've stopped whatever plan you had, trapping the god of death. What's the point?"

"Not my plan," he corrected.

"Excuse me?"

"Trapping ol' Hoodie over there wasn't my plan; it was happenstance. Granted, it helped get everything started, but you freeing him hasn't stopped me in the slightest, because he's still powerless."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the…" Porphyrion hesitated and then closed his eyes in thought. "Oh, now _there's_ an idea," he seemed satisfied with himself when he opened his eyes again. "Alright, turn those frowns upside down, because none of you are dying today."

"What?"

"I'm sure Hoodie will fill you in on why freeing him did next to nothing," he said taking off his hat. "For now, though, I'll big you adieu, until next time, when we meet in the Ancient Lands," he bowed and then disappeared.

It took a few seconds, but soon everyone realized that the threat was gone. The questers let out a simultaneous sigh of relief for the brief respite.

"Hey, uh guys…" Luke got their attention. His face was pale, almost green like he was sick. "I don't…I don't feel so…" he never finished, just collapsed. His armor and weapon disappeared when he did, and now he was truly powerless. Annabeth rushed to his side.

"Oh gods, Luke!" she quickly checked his breathing, and saw him barely open his eyes. After the initial power drain, he seemed to recover quickly.

"…Didn't realize…it'd take that much out of me…" he cracked a smile, despite how dead he felt. Thanatos watched for but a moment longer before beginning to move toward him. "He wants me…I have to go now…"

"But…" Luke stood, having regained a bit of strength. Annabeth looked to Reyna, but the girl was too depressed to offer any support. So, she had to make the choice on her own. Annabeth stepped in front of Luke. "I'm not letting you take him," she said, drawing her Trident.

Thanatos stopped briefly, seemingly confused. It was difficult to tell, given that he was just a cloak. Then, he spoke, only in Annabeth's voice. "The boy's time is up," he said. "The Ghost King's game won't go on any longer, not now that I am free."

"Annabeth, don't make this any harder. I've already died once, and it wasn't that-"

"Well, I'm not going to watch you die again, Luke," she interrupted.

"Move out of the way, child of wisdom," Thanatos ordered.

"What are you gonna do? Kill me? I thought you only took dead souls to the Underworld," Annabeth dared. Luke's face went pale again, though not because he wasn't feeling well, but because that was probably the stupidest thing to say to a death god.

Reyna watched on, conflicted. " _He deserves this,"_ she told herself. " _He killed them, he killed Tempus. You don't owe him anything…except your life, for saving your sorry hide against that monster…"_ She took a deep breath, and then joined Annabeth. She held her blade in front of Luke. "Don't come any closer, or I'll send you personally to Davy Jones Locker! And trust me; it's much worse than any hell us Romans can muster."

Thanatos hesitated again. He spoke again, this time with Reyna's voice, since it was the last voice that spoke to him. "Playing with death is dangerous for mortals; there is only one way to bring a mortal back to life as still a mortal, and this is not it. He cannot stay," The two remained adamant.

"How about instead of trying and failing to take Luke's soul, you help us out. What the hell was that guy?"

Thanatos didn't speak for a moment. He was probably deciding whether or not to just kill all of them.

"Porphyrion," Luke answered. "The Giant, right?"

"Giant? He didn't seem that big to me," Annabeth claimed.

"Yeah, maybe not in physically…" Reyna muttered, recalling the size of his aura.

"Giants are creatures born from Gaia," Thanatos answered both questions in Reyna's voice. "Several fathoms more powerful than even Zeus and Poseidon, I fear there is little hope for us now that they are awake."

"But, then…why are you trying to take Luke?" Annabeth questioned. The god of death didn't answer. " _Trying to act like nothing happened; classic fear tactic,"_ she thought. "What did he mean when he said you were powerless? Can't you stop monsters from reforming so fast?"

He answered in the Greek's voice. "My power is void this day. If I were to send souls to Tartarus or the Underworld, the gates are forced so far open that they would just come back immediately."

"Gates?" Luke questioned.

" _My_ godly weapon," he answered, still in Annabeth's voice; it appeared he only copied the voices of those who were still fully alive. "The Doors of Death normally roam freely, and only I can know where they are. They are supposed to stay shut, save for an emergency drop-off to Tartarus at Lord Zeus' request. Due to my entrapment over the past three decades the Doors have been locked down and forced open, presumably somewhere in the Ancient Lands."

"Ancient Lands…" Annabeth muttered. "Greece?" she figured, and Luke soon nodded in confirmation.

"Well…what do we do, then? Go to Greece and close the doors?"

"That'd be suicide," Luke said. "The Ancient Lands are off-limits for demigods; they're too dangerous, too teeming with monsters. No demigod has set foot there in centuries."

"But we _have_ to close the Doors if we want to stop Porphyrion."

Luke considered this and then turned to Thanatos. "Can you really not do anything to help us? At least get rid of the mortal souls?"

"Had you come a few weeks earlier, I might have."

"What do you mean?"

The god of death didn't answer for a moment. They were all enveloped in shadow instead, and when they cleared, they were in a completely different location, someplace dark. "The Underworld…haven't seen this place since I bathed in the Styx…" Luke muttered.

"But you were dead, like, a month ago," Annabeth pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wasn't here…even if that girl found me here."

"…I'm just going to accept it," Annabeth gave up trying to figure it out.

"But…if this is the Underworld, then…where's Lord Pluto?" Hylla questioned.

"He is no more," Thanatos announced. "He fell in combat with the Giant Alcyoneus. The Underworld has fallen," Without another word, he transported them to the outskirts of Camp Jupiter. "It is all I can do to keep even more souls from returning to your world."

"Then…we need to close the Doors of Death," Annabeth said.

"No, we need to take back the Underworld," Luke argued.

"Both would be suicidal ventures. Alcyoneus may not be able to match Porphyrion, but he is still several times more powerful than any of you, then all of the Aduros still able to fight. The daughter of Hades attempted to combat him, and failed, and had now disappeared from my view. I sense her life, but it's dim."

"Then the Doors," Reyna said.

"Were you not listening?" Luke questioned. "They're off-limits, and not because of some arbitrary rule; they're _dangerous_. No demigod has set foot there in centuries."

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Reyna claimed. She addressed Thanatos. "Lord Letus. Is there anything else that we need to know?"

"I can offer you no more information."

"Then please, help however you can. If it helps fix this mess, then we'll find a way to close the Doors, or die trying," she vowed.

"…" Thanatos did a sort of nod and then teleported away. Only after they couldn't hear him did he speak, in Reyna's voice since it was the last that was spoken to him. "…Your mother has high hopes for you; you'd be the first to live up to them."

xxxXXXxxx

"Go on without us," Luke said, gesturing to Reyna. "I…need to have a word."

The praetor eyed Luke suspiciously, but nodded, giving her approval. The others soon left them. "What do you want, bilge-sucker?" she questioned.

"I just…I want to talk; I think it's overdue."

"Why would I ever need to talk to you?"

"Because _everyone_ needs someone to talk to," he said. She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You may not believe me, but I _do_ regret what I did. I'm glad that it ultimately brought positive changes in the gods, but I can't ever defend or condone my choices and actions. I never would've realized that, if Percy hadn't talked to me, made me see what I'd been blocking from my sight all that time. I just…you're pushing yourself away from your problems. That's fine, if there's a task to be done, but once it ends, like it has for now…well, being alone is the hardest thing, and it makes us do some pretty stupid and crazy things."

"Get to the point," she ordered, already back to her old self in praetor-mode.

"Well…I'm here to talk it out. I want to help. I hope you'll believe that at least."

Reyna considered his words for a moment. "…I do believe you," she said. "Every word."

"Really?" she nodded. "Then why are you-"

"Because I'm mad at myself," she interrupted. "Because I can't hate you like I should. I can't hate you because you're a good lad, got a good heart, even if what you did was stupid, cruel, and evil. I can't apologize because it was your fault but I can't just ignore that you want to make up for it. I have no earthly clue what to feel," she took a deep breath. "…You'll stay praetor for now…you won't reveal your identity to anyone, understood?"

"Yes ma'am," he agreed.

"And…I have a favor to ask."

"And that would be?"

"…You saw how I acted, with the Giant. I froze, just like before. I haven't changed…and if we're going to survive this, then I _need_ to change. You've got the Titan Lord in you, right? Use him and help me."

"You mean…help you cope? With your fear?" he asked. She nodded, turning away. "…Alright. I'll do what I can," he agreed. "Don't expect every day, and I have to be in a good mindset or he might take over."

"And we _both_ don't want that to happen," she said. "…And about what you said before…about earning my trust…you did, by saving me from Porphyrion when I couldn't do anything, even if it meant risking losing control. Through difficulties to honors; that's the Roman way. You…you exemplified it during that battle."

He grinned. "You think? Hey, maybe I'm getting the hang of this whole Roman thing then," he boasted. "Oh, and before I forget. Thank you as well, for stopping Thanatos from taking me…it means a lot, considering your, uh…fear? Phobia, what would you call it?"

"Trepidation," she said, beginning to walk toward the city.

"That…wouldn't be the word I chose, but I mean…why that? Is it your mindset for why you freeze up?"

"It's my fatal flaw," she corrected. "Now get down here, and don't make me regret telling you that."

The return to camp was a festive one. Immediately, celebrations began, as they did at the return of any successful quest. Annabeth was star, bearing the golden Eagle and claiming it for the Fifth cohort. Shortly after the questers returned, the Amazons arrived. Hylla then explained that she'd been debating whether or not to attempt cooperation for some time, having noticed the disturbances of the Giants returning. After a vote, the Amazons decided to stay and offer extra protection for Camp Jupiter, which was begrudgingly accepted by the Legion as well.

Reyna met Octavian in the principia. "Well?" she questioned, seeing him sitting alone at the table. "How'd did ya fare?"

"Nothing happened," he said, seeming to be surprisingly morose at her return. "I just did what you always do."

"Come on, that ain't no kind of grand tale."

"Too bad there isn't one to tell," he said. Reyna could guess why he was acting this way. She put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll get your opportunity for sea legs eventually, lad."

"…Speak English," he requested.

She sighed, but nodded. "You'll get your chance, to really take this on. I promise, you're next in line."

"Even when Jason comes back?" he questioned. Reyna's jaw tightened. "I heard you called a Senate meeting; I'll go gather everyone," he said, pushing his way past her.

At said meeting, once everyone was there and established, Reyna poured out everything that she'd been told. "We aren't the only demigods in this world," she announced. "You bilge rats might be wondering what mean. Our mothers and fathers, the gods, weren't born Roman. They're Greek."

She got looks like 'yeah, we already knew that.'

"Those Greek aspects of the gods have survived through Rome's appropriation of them, and their Greek sides have had children of their own, apart from us. Greek demigods exist. The gods are in danger; after the Titans a new threat awakened, and they need our help, _all_ of our help, including the Greeks. We have sent one of our own to meet with them, Jason Grace. You will not remember him until he returns, as part of Lady Juno's deal. Likewise, they have sent one of their own to us, to integrate them into our way of life. Could you please stand?"

Annabeth did so, and shocked murmurs echoed through the room. "I thank you all for your hospitality," she said, bowing her head respectfully before sitting back down.

"Annabeth is a Greek daughter of Athena, sent here to help ease our meeting. There is bad blood between Greeks and Romans. I'll send word to Mother, who will in turn contact their Guardian, a centaur named Chiron. As far as I'm aware, they'll be coming to us. I don't know when, I don't know but what method, but when they _do_ arrive…please refrain from running them through if you could. That's all. I'll take questions; the rest of you get out."

xxxXXXxxx

The praetor plopped down into her bed, exhausted. She'd had to arrange too much. First the battle at Hubbard Glacier, then returning to the Amazons, then the meeting, then the questions…

"Gods, I need to talk a caulk…" she muttered, but her eyes wouldn't close. She was strangely eager to get up and moving, despite her exhaustion. She stood, her eyes drooping, as she made her way over to her desk, where she finally organized her various papers, before placing Tempus' notebook on the newly cleared surface and opening it, checking for a new entry. To Reyna's surprise, there was one for her to read.

Reyna stared blankly at the phrase written in Greek. "She…used me…?" she though aloud, before chuckling. "Figures…"

Within minutes, she had Luke and Annabeth gathered. "What? It's time to sleep; we've all had a long day," Annabeth complained.

"Quit your complaining," the praetor returned. "I offer you a gift, you ungrateful wench," she said handing over the notebook.

"But…this is yours, isn't it? Your diary?"

"Not so, lass. This belonged to Tempus," Reyna explained. "She gave it to me shortly after returning from her own quest."

"Okay, great; why am I here?" Luke questioned.

"Aside from that I need to ask something of you, I said I had a plan and have yet to explain myself."

"Alright, then…what is your plan?"

"Lass, can you read the final entry in there? I know you've been studying up on your Latin."

The girl nodded, and read it aloud:

"My dearest friend,

This will be my final entry to you. I have no idea as to the time frame of what you'll be doing when reading this, but I implore you to wait until you are of sound mind to read what I'm about to say.

The truth is, Reyna, this notebook wasn't meant for you. It was never intended to be yours, but I needed a messenger who didn't know they were one. In the unlikely event that I'm not even around to push you into the right direction, I needed a way to tell what lies further in these pages to the notebook's true owner.

On my quest I'd discovered that we Roman demigods aren't the only ones in this world. There are Norse, Egyptian, Celtic demigods. What I cared about, though, is that we have Greek brothers and sisters. Some, perhaps, are walking among us at Camp Jupiter without us knowing.

You may have figured it out already, but the trigger for my writing to appear was when you came into contact with someone like me; a child of wisdom, of Minerva. Only, he/she won't be a child of Minerva, but instead of Athena. The reason I'm writing this is to aid that child, whomever they end up being.

For what we found across the Atlantic was no Roman treasure. No. It was the result of a Roman burglary. And not just a burglary, but a massacre, multiple massacres even, over many centuries. You will know of this when the time comes, but in regards to my own journey, I must request that you refrain from finding out. I couldn't bear the thought of you or Jason or Octavian knowing the horrendous things that occurred during that voyage, the pain I've endured.

But then, I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Reyna. I don't know what you think of me, or whether your opinion changed after my own alteration. I don't think it matters much, at this point. Our destiny is that of Rome itself; intertwined with each of our brothers and sisters. And it is our responsibility to care for them and help them along whatever path they think is right. The weight rests on the shoulders of the praetors. Of that at least, I'm sure we can agree.

I cannot tell you what occurred across the Atlantic, but I can tell you what it did to me. It changed me, as has been stated many times. But deeper than that, it broke me. The trials I underwent were specifically designed to destroy me both physically and psychologically, and it worked. The reason I returned a failure was in part due to my fragile mental state. If I had pushed any further, then neither praetor would've come back alive. Keep in mind that this doesn't take into consideration the regular trials of going to the Ancient Lands; more ancient, bestial myths to duel, in greater numbers. The gods left that land for a reason, and I suspect it is more than just to follow the heart of the west.

If you so wish, you can consider my change a mere representation of my damaged psyche, and I wouldn't think less of you for it. Despite my own beliefs, I'm willing to acknowledge that possibility. However, let me say one thing in my defense. A phrase was engraved on a wall, where we went, and it went as thus:

'There is clarity in despair'

This is a Roman proverb that I believe was lost to time. There is only one reason for this, and it is because it was coined by Nero, Rome's bane. I know this, because the engraving was signed by him.

I would go so far as to call it a truth. There is clarity in despair, and I have seen it firsthand. As my mind broke, my eyes were opened to the world. This out-of-body experience is difficult to describe, but it alone is the cause for my change. If you ever hear the full story, it will make sense. I assure you.

And so, I leave you with an open-ended response. I offer no answers, no solace, no peace, only my words and my wisdom, for what it may be worth.

I have nothing more to say to you, Reyna, my most exalted companion. Know that I have the utmost faith that you will lead New Rome into a bright future.

But with that, I leave you. Goodbye, friend, and please give my regards to Jason as well.

Speak the next line in English to trigger the second half of the book to begin appearing, based on location.

I alítheia eínai to fos mou kai tóra eínai dikó sou."

Annabeth read the final phrase in Greek, but before she could go back and follow the instructions to unlock the next half of the book, Luke interrupted. "Across the Atlantic? She don't mean…"

"She does," Reyna confirmed. "Us Romans _have_ been to the Ancient Lands. It didn't end well for them, but we did it and at least one person lived to tell the tale. It's possible."

"But what happened? Tempus survived, but she said she was broken, right?" Annabeth questioned.

"It was three and a half years ago. Tempus and our other praetor at the time, a son of Vulcan, led almost thirty campers to the Ancient Lands to fulfill a quest that she'd received. Out of everyone that left only Tempus returned, six months later. She'd changed, of that I can be certain. The lass never liked violence or 'required militarism' as she called it. She never truly voiced that until after she returned and since she was our only praetor until I took it up a year ago, her voice held great sway."

"So your plan is to follow Tempus' footsteps into the Ancient Lands?" Luke surmised. "You assume it'll be safer because she travelled it?"

"If I were a betting girl, I'd say that the lass will have a guide," she returned before turning to the older girl. "Could you read that phrase?"

Annabeth nodded, and read it aloud. "The truth is my light and now it is yours," she read, and before their eyes, the page glowed red. When it faded, a small coin with an etching of an owl lay on the page, and below that, there was some text writing in Greek, still in Tempus' handwriting.

"If Reyna followed my instructions, then you will be a child of Athena. I apologize in advance for what I'm about to ask you, but I need you to finish what I couldn't. This coin will be instrumental to revealing the path before you. I urge you to accomplish this task; if it's successful, then the bad blood between Greeks and Romans will be lessened considerably. With any luck, it'll be enough to where we can work together without the need to be separated as we have been.

But before that, introductions. My name is Tempus Brookes, and I am a daughter of Minerva, the Roman aspect of Athena. I was chosen to undertake a quest to retrieve a very powerful Roman artifact that only a child of wisdom could uncover. Excited by the challenge, I went off with a group of thirty good men, only to come back alone and broken for my hubris.

You must undertake that same journey. My hope for writing this is that having an outlet, a means of empathizing with another person during these ordeals will be enough to help you push through it. I went through the same things, I know how difficult they can get. Unfortunately, a powerful veil of Mist prevents me from explaining the solutions to the different trials you'll face. I can merely describe the trials themselves and let you figure it out, as I had to and as many before us have had to as well. Still, I hope to be of some use and comfort.

So please, finish my journey. I need this closure. Please, with my blessing, follow the Mark of Athena."

xxxXXXxxx

"When will they come?" Annabeth found herself wondering, sitting at the table over a blank sheet of paper. Luke was there, reading up on his responsibilities as praetor. A few weeks had passed, and the prospect of reuniting with the other Greeks had become an intoxicating idea to the daughter of Athena. She toiled away, wondering what they'd be like, whether 'P' would be with them…

"The Greeks? Don't know," he said. "Why?"

"Because I want to write something to them."

"You mean to P-" Luke corrected. Annabeth nodded. "And you still don't remember anything about him, huh?"

She shook her head. "I've been trying…hey. Can you do me a favor? Let's go to the ocean."

Within a few hours, they stood on the beach, looking like total outcasts and weirdos compared to the few others that were there, given the freezing weather. Yeah, some freaks actually went to the beach in this weather, it was weird.

"Well?" he wondered. "Anything?"

Annabeth looked out to the horizon, trying to feel something other than this incredible longing in her heart. She took a deep breath, drinking in the salty air. "…I know what I want to write," she said, starting to use Luke's back as her surface. As she wrote she felt…content? It was one massive sigh of relief as she felt she'd finally spoken to 'P', feeling so close to him, despite not remembering what he looks like or what his voice sounds like. "Done," she said, rolling up the piece of paper. She'd brought a bottle with a cork to send it off in, call it Reyna's pirate influence. She giggled. "Gods, it's so cheesy…"

"It'll be fine," Luke assured, putting the paper in and plugging in the cork, before handing the bottle to her. She knelt down and waited for the right tide, before sending the bottle off to the oceans.

"…You think it'll reach him?" she wondered, standing up.

"When he needs you most, I think it will."

Annabeth found herself smiling, almost excited. "He _always_ needs me; always has, always will," she remembered. "Isn't that right, Percy?"

Luke blinked, but then smiled. Satisfied that she finally remembered his name, upon writing that letter to him, the two walked back to Camp Jupiter.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey all! Time for finale stuff, but it's gonna be quick (not)**

 **So first off, OPs are fucking sweet; this time is Highschool of the Dead (no seriously that's the title), specifically the English version by Christina Vee which is fucking great. Reason? I normally choose softer tracks, but this is the closest I listen to to hardcore music, which I felt would've been fitting as a change of pace as we change from Greek to Roman for a while.**

 **Next, prophecy crap, kinda light this time around.**

 _ **Death unleashed it is your fate**_

 **Referencing how the quest is meant primarily to free Thanatos/Letus**

 ** _But two alive shall bear the weight_**

 **Three questers go, but only Annabeth and Reyna are technically alive, and they had to bear the "weight" of lifting that stupid rocks off of the god of death.**

 ** _Reunited siblings feud_**

 **Reyna and Hylla feud. End of story.**

 ** _And Roman pride shall be renewed_**

 **This is in reference to retrieve the lost Eagle.**

 ** _To the land beyond the gods_**

 **This is in reference to them going to Alaska, obviously.**

 ** _And one unburned must face all odds_**

 **Referencing that Annabeth, a Greek, has to lead the quest and brave its perils.**

 **If that felt a little barebones, there's a couple reasons for that. First, as I've mentioned, I didn't take much except the barebones from the book, and instead tried to flesh out my own unique story, which didn't particularly intertwine much with the quest.**

 **Second, there was originally supposed to be a whole other chapter. Porphyrion was supposed to warn them of a surprise attack on Camp Jupiter before leaving. They were going to get there, see Octavian basically failing at rallying the Legion, and have Reyna step in and beat back the baddies. At one point, the Amazons were supposed to come, led by Hylla (she wasn't originally going to follow the questers alone) to provide support when it looked like the Romans might lose.**

 **I ultimately cut that whole battle out, both because it would've basically been pulling a Michael Bay, and that I may or may not be having Camp Jupiter attacked in the future, hint-hint-wink-wink, and I didn't want things to be repetitive.**

 **But still, those are hardly excuses. So, to give some solace, know that Mark of Athena is going to be fucking huge. At least as big as The Lost Hero if not bigger, in terms of characterization and plot. It's so big that I'm not even writing Hercules yet.**

 **Of course, this means that you'll have to wait a while. don't hesitate to PM me with questions or shoot me a review in the meantime.**

 **I'll see you guys later, with the Mark of Athena!**


	32. How It Always Should've Been

Even having six months to prepare, Jason couldn't help but feel nervous as they soared west toward Camp Jupiter. He felt a chill running through his spine, but he attributed that to the cool wind. He didn't feel the cold, but he could tell it was there, if for no other reason than because literally everyone else had at least long sleeves and long pants on. Jason has the latter down, with black jeans, but he wore a simple purple t-shirt, with his gifted white bandana tied to his bicep. Regalius, what used to be Ivlivs, was nestled between his index and middle fingers, ready to be flipped and activated at the drop of a hat.

He looked around at the others on the airship, Argo II; only four people accompanied him, as representatives of Camp Half-Blood. " _We're only going to talk,"_ he reminded himself. " _There are no big plans. Just relax."_

At the helm was Leo. He'd installed a Nintendo Switch as his steering wheel, for both dual-analog controls and motion control aiming, sporting his usual long white shirt (though it was already stained with grease), bushy vest, and workers pants. Piper wore an orange Camp Half-Blood shirt and plain jeans, trying not to attract too much attention, aside from the pink scarf she wore around her neck. Her blade, Néa plevrá or New Side, was strapped to her belt, and her pen was out. She was drawing doodles in the air.

Overlooking the other side of the ship was Grover, their satyr protector. All he wore was a baggy sweatshirt; his furry legs were warm enough.

Then there was Percy, who stood only a few feet away from Jason, looking downward as they passed through the clouds. He wore a red hoodie over a camp muscle shirt, and black jeans. He'd 'agreed' to come along, but it was more like he'd forced his way on. Given their differences, Jason would've probably felt better if he'd stayed at camp. He was too confrontational for this, but…Jason couldn't bear the thought of his girlfriend hoping he'd come to see her and then him not be there. It'd be like if Jason was left at Camp Half-Blood, not being there for Reyna. It wouldn't have been fair to either party.

"Look!" Grover called, and everyone gazed below them.

Camp Jupiter came into view in all of its glory. So vast and open compared to Camp Half-Blood, with the Field of Mars sprawling, charred, and cracked from a recent War Game, New Rome standing as tall and proud as ever; the rubble from the Titan attack seemed to have been lessened considerably. Jason let out a sigh of relief. " _No new damage…good. That means that they weren't attacked."_

"Can we land?" Leo wondered, seeing a group of over a hundred campers, the Legionnaires, gathering in case of an attack.

"…No," Jason figured. "Even if they accepted us, the Tiber wouldn't."

"Then what's the play?" Grover asked.

"We can lower a rope ladder," Jason said. "With any luck, they _won't_ skewer us when we get off," he muttered, looking at the flag raised for peace. At Camp Jupiter, their flag was that of an eagle's wings outstretched, to represent the golden Eagle that used to be their symbol. Upon learning of Percy and Piper's idea for a flag for Camp Half-Blood, he offered some light alterations.

Their idea was to have a flag raised above the doorway of each cabin, to symbolically remind them that, despite any differences they have, they are one unit. The symbol of the flag itself was the highest voted thing that kept people fighting on the last day of the Titan War, seeing Percy's Pegasus riding proudly in the sky above them; so long as he flew, they could still fight. Jason offered to make the flag be a mirror image of Camp Jupiter's; instead of a white eagle's wings, it would be the pitch black wings of Percy's Pegasus.

"Where's that principal you mentioned?" Percy wondered.

"The principia?" Jason pointed at one of the more ornate buildings.

"I'll go introduce myself," he offered, and before Jason could argue, he hopped off of the airship, using his water to slow himself down.

Percy was given plenty of space as he landed, with the whole Legion aiming their weapons at him. He looked them over, noting their formation. A tight defensive position, difficult to break through; they've been well-trained. Though…

Percy shot water from behind them, knocking a few of them in the air. Their bodies tensed. "You're too stiff," he said, crossing his arms. "Too rigid; you could never react properly like that," A few of them exchanged confused looks, obviously unsure of whether to trust him or not. "Where's the principia?"

xxxXXXxxx

Reyna got a knock on her door when the visitors arrived. "What is it, Octavian?" she called.

"You have a guest," he called back, though there was something different in his voice, some kind of edge. Reyna stood from her desk and exited, and was immediately bombarded. Not by anything physical, but by _his_ presence. His aura exploded around him, shooting out in jagged streaks that felt like they could kill just by being near her.

Reyna took in a sharp breath and closed her eyes. " _You've prepared for things like this; act normal. You're a praetor, not a push-over. Not anymore,"_ she reminded herself, though half of her also thought " _But this is from a mortal? How is that possible?"_

The man stepped forward awkwardly. "Um…hey," he said, his eyes wandering around the building. Reyna opened her own eyes, and tried to force this intense bloodlust coming from him to the back of her mind.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" she questioned, doing her best to sound confident. She saw his lip curl into a slight smirk, like the façade amused him. Then it turned to an almost friendly smile.

"I'm Percy. Percy Jackson," he said. Reyna numbly recalled that boy who was alongside Annabeth on Circe's Island; how had he grown into such a monster? "I'm here representing the Greek demigods of Camp Half-Blood; I guess you could call me a leader of sorts."

"…Reyna," she said, taking his offered hand into a shake. Neither let go for a moment, seeing which one would pull away first. It turned out to be mutual. "Praetor of the Twelfth Legion."

"So I've heard," he said. "My friends are coming down; I don't know what you do for visitors or even if you have a protocol…I mean, I know _we_ wouldn't have anything planned, but, uh…" he scratched his chin. "Anyway, uh…I hate to ask, but…I heard someone named Annabeth might be here, is that true?"

"Annabeth…?" Reyna shook her head, stunned that that would be the first thing he asked about. "She's…she's out in the city doing clean-up."

"Oh cool; yeah, I saw some roughed-up areas as we came down. I'll check there, if that's cool."

"Y-yeah," she nodded, giving him leave.

Percy only walked until the door shut, and then he broke into a sprint. Part of him was dreading this moment, fearing what would have changed about her, but another part, a more overpowering part, craved seeing her again, caressing through her hair, feeling her lips on his…

He stopped when he saw her, alone save for one other man who had his back turned. For a terrifying moment, he was afraid that she'd left him after losing her memory, but when he recalled how strongly Jason had felt about his loved ones from this place, he figured that she must feel the same.

The two stopped shoveling when they saw him. Percy jogged up to Annabeth, who got a hazy look on her face at first upon looking at him. Then the man she was with turned to face him, and Percy froze. He blinked several times, unsure of whether it was a hallucination or a dream.

"You're…Luke…?" the son of Poseidon's voice was barely audible. The older man shuffled on his feet awkwardly, not responding. Percy stood there, eyes fixed on the dead man standing before him, for several seconds. His attention only shifted when he was spoken to.

"Um…hey, it's…Percy…right?" Annabeth wondered, and the man's eyes finally fell on her.

"I…y-yeah," he confirmed. "Do you…remember me?"

Annabeth exchanged a look with Luke, before turning back to Percy. "I don't, not yet anyway. I'm sorry," she said.

Percy tried to take a mental step back, and he stood up straighter. "O-oh, I mean. That's alright, it's just…"

" _What?"_ Riptide wondered. " _Go on and sweep her off her feet, stud."_

" _It's not that simple,"_ Percy returned. " _She'll think I'm weird."_

" _She_ always _thought you were weird,"_ it pointed out.

" _Yeah, but…"_

A horn went off behind them. "A feast?" Annabeth wondered. "Now?"

"Really? I thought it was for emergency war games," Luke said.

"No, brush up a bit more," she returned, chuckling as she took Luke's shovel. "I'll go return these; can you show him to the dining pavilion?"

"Sure, but I mean…" Luke gestured to the two of them playfully. Annabeth shook her head and left without another word. He sighed. "Well…this is awkward…"

"I…I saw you die…" Percy said, stuffing his hand in his pocket, just in case of emergency. "Didn't I? Or was that a trick?"

"No, you did," he confirmed. "And it wasn't a trick; I promise."

"You've broken those before," Percy claimed, making Luke flinch.

"No more," he vowed. "Trust me, Percy. This time, we'll be fighting for the same team," he put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "They're gonna hold their feast, probably to commemorate Jason's return or whatever. I'll show you a place; we'll catch up," he offered. "And then…hopefully enough time will have passed for Annabeth to process seeing you for the first time, eh?"

xxxXXXxxx

Reyna all but collapsed when Percy left, letting out a massive breath like she'd been holding it in the whole time. She leaned on the wall behind her, trying to get her heartrate to slow down. "Damn it…I could barely move…" she lamented. " _But you didn't_ completely _freeze up; silver lining."_

Octavian went to her and tried to offer support, which she waved away. "If that man felt so dangerous, then maybe it'd be best if we just had them leave. Whatever task the gods require, surely we could do it on our own."

"No, we've already agreed to the whole thing; it's a matter of finishing what we started, lad," she said, shaking her head; she'd be lying if she said she didn't ever consider the possibility. "Go call for a feast."

"Why a feast?"

"Because a Senate meeting is too formal; this needs to be as relaxed as possible; we _can't_ start fighting, under any circumstances."

He nodded and exited. The door never closed behind him. Instead, a new face walked in. Or rather, a familiar one. Reyna's heart, despite herself, skipped a beat when she saw him. He smiled sheepishly as he closed the door. "Uh, h-hey, Reyna," Jason said. "I'm back."

Without speaking, she ran forward, grabbed him, and kissed him as passionately as she could muster, pushing him up against the wall in the process. The two separated, their cheeks rosy. Jason was probably still embarrassed by these displays of affection, since they were so new as a couple before he left.

"R-Reyna, I-" Jason started to say something, when a fist slammed into his face, making his nose bleed. And then, Reyna brought him into a hug. They stood there for a long time, just taking each other in.

"…If you _ever_ tell _anyone_ what I'm doing…" she began. He chuckled, running his hand through her hair.

"I missed you too…" he said softly, filling her with warmth. The gentle care he took with her, a trait that she'd despised since she met him, has turned endearing, comforting even; she didn't have to act strong in front of him, and she didn't have to be in control. What would've normally given her more anxiety and fear than any monster was strangely…okay, with him around.

Reyna pulled away, fixing her braid. "Blow me down, your softness is getting contagious," she teased as the horn blew, signaling the feast. It'd be ready within minutes.

Jason looked to Reyna for confirmation, still content to listen to her orders, given her rank above him. She wanted so badly to tell him to just stay so they could talk and catch up, but she knew that he wouldn't agree. " _He would probably use the opportunity to grill me on how well kept the Legion has been without him,"_ she couldn't help thinking. He surprised her, actually.

"Um…if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" he began sheepishly. "You think we could skip the feast?" Reyna raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I mean, to catch up. We haven't spoken in so long that I figured…you know, actually, it'd probably be better if we-"

"I'd love to," she interrupted. "But not here. They'd come looking and…assume what we would do if left alone."

Jason was about to say " _But they know we're together, and we're both adults,"_ but he refrained, not letting the new Greek "open speech" influence get ahead of his conscious. He remembered some of the horror stories that Reyna had shared of her time with the pirates, as their captive, and remembered how she acted upon first arriving, with the children of Venus. He smiled. "Alright, then I know just the place."

xxxXXXxxx

"So I guess this makes the second time that Bianca refrained from telling me important information," Percy surmised after Luke relayed how he got to Camp Jupiter. They were sitting on a hill, overlooking the city. The two saw a group of campers crowding into a building.

"Eh, I'm sure it was a spur-of-the-moment decision," he shrugged.

"You seem to be taking your resurrection from death pretty well."

"I'd say that's because of time, no pun intended; it's been over half a year since I got out, almost a full year since I died. It's almost hard to remember what it was like."

"Well, I don't know what it felt like to you, but to me you were being a total asshole."

"What? I was doing the whole redemption thing," Luke argued.

"Yeah, and then you slapped me in the face by showing me all those other versions of how it could've happened to where you _didn't_ die!" Percy argued, nudging the older man.

"What can I say; I get a kick out of fucking with you, Percy Jackson."

"Yeah, _that_ much was clear all throughout that stupid war."

The two looked back out to the horizon. "…I'm sorry, by the way," Luke said. "About everything that I did."

"Consider if forgiven."

"…Just like that?"

"I've gotten over it, Luke. Sure, you probably tolerated too much from Kronos, but it was always him who started it."

"But your friends."

"I'm as responsible as you; I led them."

Luke looked ready to argue further, but then he looked at Percy. The man wasn't even thinking; he was completely set in his decision, and no amount of reasoning would change his mind; Luke was forgiven. "…Then we'll both shoulder the blame. It isn't something anyone should have to bear alone."

"Deal…and you know? This, just…hanging out…this is all I ever wanted from you. You were my first friend at camp, you know? This is how it always should've been."

"What about Annabeth? And Grover?"

"…Annabeth and I didn't get close until the quest…Grover was away so much because of his satyr duties. Besides, since then, we've grown apart," Percy claimed. "…This is how it was meant to be, without all of the bullshit heroics and prophecies and gods. If I could just throw that all away for this kind of life…"

"Even if Annabeth had to stay in this life?"

The son of Poseidon went silent. "…She already has another goal, doesn't she?"

Luke nodded. "A leftover from one of the campers here, you could say. It's a bit more complicated than that, but Reyna thinks it's important, and I trust her."

"…Does she know? About you?"

"Yeah, she does."

"And she lets you stay here because…?"

Luke shrugged. "It's a mutual relationship. I get to try and help mend what happened because of Kronos, and I help her work through her…issues."

"You mean how she freezes up when she sees someone way stronger than her?"

"…How?" Luke questioned how he knew.

"It was pretty obvious to someone who's felt the same thing. You've obviously never heard about my first 'fight' with Atlas," Percy chuckled. "You remember that total badass I was in the Sea of Monsters on the Princess Andromeda? Yeah, forget that."

"In case _you_ forgot, I was there," Luke reminded him. "Both times, and you weren't even close to a badass in either scenario."

"Tch, everybody's a critic…"

"Hey, you guys!" they heard from below them.

"Oh hey," Luke greeted Annabeth as she ran up the hill. "We decided to take a little detour."

"Some detour," she commented, putting a hand on her hip. "The food is ready; you coming or not?"

Percy looked to Luke for a moment, who offered a playful smirk. "You two go on ahead; I gotta swing by the principia for something," he lied, and it was so obviously a lie, and yet they both agreed. Percy stood, and let himself be led by the daughter of Athena.

They started walking, and neither of them said a word until they were well into the city, the streets now oddly quiet due to the huge feast on the other side. "So…" Percy was the first to break it. "…You said you don't remember me?"

"…Not much," she said, barely audible. "Just flashes."

"Oh…"

"Sorry."

"Don't be; it's not your fault," Percy claimed. "Your memories will come back eventually, and then…things can go back to how they were before."

"R-right…" They went quiet again, both staring straight ahead. "So…we were together?"

"Yeah. Since we were fourteen. Wasn't always easy, but…"

"Why, was I difficult to please?" she teased cautiously, trying to ease the tension and oddity both were feeling at the situation.

"We both were annoying in our own ways. Back when we first got together, I used to embarrass you in front of your cabinmates a lot; you didn't like to show that side of yourself in public a lot back then, especially not to them."

Annabeth thought to Reyna, and how hard she tried to put up a brave front. "Sounds familiar…" she said off-handedly. "So…if we're together…why aren't you holding my hand?" heat rushed to her face as she spoke; it seemed so pedantic, but she was expecting him to be all over her once he saw her. Instead, he had the reaction that part of Annabeth thought _she_ should've had upon first seeing Luke; dumbfounded and confused.

"I, uh…I thought it might be weird…without your memories…"

"…It is…" she admitted. Both of their cheeks rosy, Percy held out his hand, and she took it in hers. The two went quiet.

Percy wouldn't admit it right then, but feeling her skin again was the biggest relief he'd ever felt. Her palm and fingers were calloused from use but the back of her hand was as silky smooth as ever. He missed holding her hand so much; so much that it could kill him.

"I'm curious," she broke the silence. "Why did you send _me_ here?"

"It wasn't my call," Percy answered. "You wanted to come."

"Really?"

"You said that I would mess it up," he clarified. "Plus, that big brain of yours always wants to learn something new, so I bet you wanting to learn about the Romans drove your decision a bit too."

"Mm," she thought back, but couldn't ever recall a feeling like that, even when she arrived. Sure, New Rome was beautiful, and the architecture was incredible, but it wasn't to her taste, and she never really felt incentivized to go out and learn more about Roman culture. "Well, past-me would be disappointed that there's not much to learn."

"And alternate-me would probably have had a worse time, so I'd say this was the lesser of two evils. Besides, you're safe; that was my main concern."

"You were worried about me?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "Of course I was," he assured. "Every day we were apart."

" _Alright, that's a little weird to say,"_ Annabeth thought, only to remember that this wasn't their first time meeting; he'd been with her for years. She had to keep reminding herself of that when she thought he was moving a bit fast. "We're here," she announced, almost relieved that they would be in the company of others. One-to-one was just too weird at this point.

xxxXXXxxx

"It sounds like a mortal summer camp, but with pointy sticks," Reyna claimed, upon hearing how Camp Half-Blood ran itself. "And you were just…someone living there?"

"That's how they treated me," Jason said, skating alongside Reyna on her Pegasus, high above Camp Jupiter. "No different than one of their own."

"Hm…"

"It wasn't too bad, honestly. I got really annoyed at how fast and loose the hierarchy was, but I got over it," he continued, before looking over to his partner, staring straight ahead. "…Would love to know what you're thinking."

"…I'm thinking that that's how I should've treated Annabeth, when she arrived here."

"As just a regular probatio?"

"Aye," she confirmed. "Though…" she shook her head. "I have no earthly clue what would've happened with the prophecy."

"Prophecy? There was a quest?"

Reyna nodded. "To rescue Lord Letus; he'd been trapped by the incompetency of the Fifth-before-us, back one and a half score."

"You mean when we lost the Eagle?" she nodded. "Wow…wish I could've been there."

"As if you were lacking excitement, lad. You must've gone up against the Scourge of the Seven Seas to break oath and contact me before it was time to meet."

"Y…yeah, I guess you could say I did. I met four gods on my journey; Lord Aquillon, Lord Aeolus, Lady Diana, and Lady Juno."

"Oh well lucky you. I hope you didn't embarrass us."

"Most of them seemed…amused by me, like I was a joke or not worth taking seriously."

"Well, that bodes well…though it falls in line with my own experience. A certain rainbow goddess chose not to let me meet her. And, let's be real, lad; I can't really blame her," she smirked as Jason rolled his eyes. Then they lit up.

"Hey, you wanna see something really cool?" he asked, and before she could respond, he whistled. The sound carried far on the air, seemingly going on forever, before a wind picked up around them (apart from flying through the air, and suddenly a storm cloud in the shape of a horse darted out of the horizon, stopping in front of Jason. "Reyna, this is Tempest. He's a ventus that I tamed."

"And…you can ride him?"

"Well, technically yeah, but I've never done it, and I can fly, so…" he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

"You've always had a knack for finding things that are useless to you."

"He's not useless!" he faked being offended as Tempest zoomed away. "And I found you, didn't I?" The comment made her laugh, which was all that Jason wanted. "Hey, um…not to force the issue, but it looks like they're waiting for us down there," he gestured to the dining pavilion. "Are you ready for serious talk yet?"

Reyna took a deep breath. She _really_ didn't want to go down there. She wanted to stay high above them and continue joking around. Hell, she'd have taken beating the shit out of him in the Colosseum over going to discuss how they'll both probably be killed during whatever task they decided on. Still, she nodded, and the two descended, landing smoothly. Jason was tempted to be playful and romantic by lifting her off of her mount and carrying her down, but he figured that she wouldn't particularly appreciate that.

By the time they arrived, most people had already eaten. Reyna sat at the head of the table, while Jason had to sit apart from her, with the other visitors from Camp Half-Blood. Frank was in an unusual place as the Centurion of the Fifth. Jason shot the son of Mars a cautious glance, but he waved off the son of Jupiter's concern as he had his arm around Hazel's shoulders. Jason saw that the second spot for the Third's Centurions was open, and Jason surmised that Reyna had him cover, since Hazel was so new to the whole leadership gig.

Or at least, that's what Jason would've done, had he been in her shoes. " _We probably should've planned for my absence before I left,"_ he couldn't help thinking. He was about to go on a mental tirade about himself, when Reyna called for silence.

What she said surprised Jason. "I want you all to leave to your regular duties," she ordered the Legion. Uproarious disapproval shot through the crowd of campers, but with a quick unsheathing of her blade, they went silent again. "We have private matters to discuss," she explained hastily, before everyone was forced to shuffle out, having gotten a decent meal and little else.

The visitors went closer to the head of the table, and Jason noticed some guy he'd never seen before in the second praetor's chair. The man noticed Jason's staring. He had these odd golden irises, not amber; pure gold, save for a ring of blue around the pupil. He offered a mischievous smile that reminded Jason of the Stoll brothers. "Don't believe we've met," he offered a hand. "Name's Tempus."

Jason looked at his offered hand, and then back up at the man in question. "No, you're not," Jason claimed. Reyna raised an eyebrow, not expecting Jason to speak so bluntly to someone in the praetor's chair, who obviously held the rank. He turned to Reyna. "You replaced her?"

She frowned. "Not important," she claimed, trying not to tangle his personal feelings into the meeting. "You can tell them straight, lad," she instructed.

"Good; I'm Luke Castellan," he re-introduced himself to the others. It was odd to him, knowing that the only person who knew him was Percy. Jason, however, was more confused.

"Luke…?" he said the name quietly as the others introduced themselves. " _Where have I heard that name before…?"_

"And you are?" Luke turned to him. Jason blinked as he remembered one of the first things he was told when he arrived at Camp Half-Blood, about the Titan War.

"You can't be serious," he ignored the older man and turned back to Reyna. "You…you _can't_ be serious!" He was about to question further when Piper put a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head and used her sign language.

'Don't make a scene,' she told him. Reyna was numbly aware of this interaction, but more acutely noticed the scarf around her neck; it was Tempus' own, that she specifically gave to Jason as a token of friendship.

"We'll talk later," Reyna promised. "For now, I think it'd be best if we exchange what information we have. Does that sound reasonable?" no one argued. "One demigod from each camp was sent. Seeing as how neither has been harmed, I'd wager that part of Lady Juno's plan was a success."

Murmurs of agreement rose from the group. "Did Juno tell you guys what was attacking Olympus?" Luke wondered.

"No," Jason relayed. "She said she didn't know, but we found out."

"So did we," Annabeth said. "The Giants, immortals born from Gaia, or Terra, who possess power that's even greater than the gods and Titans."

Percy spoke up next, sitting next to Annabeth. "Except they're not going by their original names. The one they ran into was Wrath. I ran into one who attacked the goddess Artemis or…uh…"

"Diana," Annabeth offered.

"Right. He called himself Lust."

"Ours didn't do that. Porphyrion called himself God, as in the Judeo-Christian variety," Luke said. "He seemed pretty confident, maybe a Pride?"

"That's all we found out," Jason said. "That the Giants were attacking Olympus…somehow. I hope you guys have a plan," Jason gaze darted between Annabeth and Reyna.

"We do," Annabeth announced. "We rescued Thanatos, god of death."

"You went on a quest?" Percy interrupted. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No…why?" Annabeth questioned his specific asking of her.

He stared at her blankly, as if having to remind himself that she was still suffering from amnesia. "Because you're carrying my kid in you."

The realization was a sudden as it was shocking. "What?!" she shot up to her feet. "I'm pregnant? How am I pregnant?! How long?"

"Well, it was in August, so…nine months?"

"So I'm expecting?!"

Percy tried to back away as she got up in his face, but there was nowhere to go. "Um…Athena said it doesn't happen often, but that it should last from ten months to a year, and it's like a ball of thought in your tummy. I don't know if Hera's weird memory-wipe-stasis thing altered it or…you know…"

"Enough!" Reyna called. "We'll deal with it later," she said. "Annabeth, continue."

It took the daughter of Athena a bit to recover, with the danger of what she'd done on the quest and before dawning on her all in that moment. Eventually, though, she picked up where she left off. "Thanatos says that his godly weapon, the Doors of Death, have been forced open somewhere in the Ancient Lands; that's why monsters are resurrecting so fast and why mortals are so easily able to be brought back to life, even with their own will."

"Lord Letus also told us something else, something…unsettling," Reyna said. "Olympus may still stand, but the Underworld is lost, and Lord Pluto is no more. His daughter suffered a similar fate, but she seemed to be spared her life, and both were done in by Alcyoneus."

"Lust," Percy translated. "…" A wave of shock ran through the group. "I wouldn't look so down, guys," the son of Poseidon spoke up. "Hades was the weakest of the Big Three by far."

"But…a god _died_ ," Jason pointed out.

"Yeah, you tend to do that when you go up against someone stronger than you," he said, sounding almost nonchalant. "Olympus is guarded by Zeus, Hera, Hestia, Demeter, Athena, Artemis, even though she's injured, and whatever spirits and heroes are under their influence. My father's palace is guarded by a literal army of sea monsters, Atlantians, and Cyclopes, and the asshole himself is no pushover. Hades had no one."

The news didn't succeed in calming any of their nerves. "Also, we have one other thing," Annabeth brought out a small coin. "Another task, in the Ancient Lands."

Jason's heart nearly stopped when he saw it. It was the same coin that Tempus took with her on her quest, that was given to her by the Sibylline Book upon giving her prophecy. "Where did you get that?" he questioned.

"It was given to me," she claimed, simultaneously bringing out a notebook. "Along with this. Tempus, the original one, said for me to follow the Mark of Athena. She said it'll lead to some artifact that will mend the rift between Greeks and Romans."

"But…we already did that," Leo said.

"I wouldn't be too sure," Jason retorted. "Annabeth, have you had a nagging at the back of your head, like you don't belong here, like you shouldn't trust anyone around you?"

"All the time," she agreed. "It's super annoying when I'm trying to trust my teammates in the War Games."

"If this Pride is smart enough to coordinate the deicide of the Lord of the Underworld and find and lock down these Doors of Death, then he'll be smart enough to form a schism between us. We can hope that this switch was enough, but I wouldn't trust it."

"Or, we could have another exchange," Reyna pointed out. "You had your leaders see our camp, why don't we see yours, maybe even make a peaceful exchange?"

The visitors exchanged nervous glances. "…Who would go?" Percy wondered.

"I would, you addle," she smirked. The insult only confused him, which was one of the rare times that Reyna felt smarter than someone. Reyna also noticed that his aura seemed oddly sedated now. Reyna could only guess that perhaps Annabeth placated him more than she thought. "I take it you left at least one competent lad or lass back home?"

"Sun Lady is there," Leo pointed out.

"I mean, I guess a game or two of Capture-The-Flag wouldn't be bad…" Percy thought aloud.

"What?"

"Think war games but without the fort," Jason offered.

"Well, that sounds rightly boring," Reyna claimed. "But it'll have to do. Friendly competition; build trust before the trouble starts."

"But…what about the Ancient Lands?"

"What about them?" Reyna questioned.

"Well, don't you want to go?" Jason wondered.

She looked him in the eye for a brief moment, before shaking her head. "No; someone needs to hold the fort. The Legion's praetor has left once already, and without a second, I can't trust that again without good reason."

"Alright, so that's good. So what's the official plan here?" Annabeth asked. "A quest to go to the Ancient Lands?"

"To follow your Mark," Luke agreed.

"What about the Doors?"

"Ensuring that the camps don't turn on each other should be our main priority," Jason interjected. "If we don't work together, we'll fail; I know it. One quest, to secure whatever artifact the Mark leads to. Then we can come back and start another quest to close the Doors, maybe from the Greek side, to be fair."

Reyna furrowed her brow at his proposal. " _He's not usually so assertive,"_ she thought. "Will you have time?"

"We don't know the Giants' play," Luke pointed out. "We can't find out either; we shouldn't factor it into the decision if we have nothing to go on."

"Fair enough. Then the question becomes; who will lead the quest? For us Romans, this is unusual; the Sibylline Book and its prophecies are often directed at a specific person to lead the quest."

"We usually pick out of a hat," Percy smirked, and Reyna couldn't tell if it was because he was joking or if it was funny that that was the actual case.

"Then welcome to the civilized world," she huffed. "Unless someone wants to step up, we'll take a vote."

The group exchanged nervous looks, either because none felt up to the task or because they didn't want to hog the glory of potentially completing the most difficult and important task the Greco-Roman world had ever seen. Jason closed his eyes, trying to think of possibilities of everyone leading the quest.

Leo and Piper lacked experience, Grover wasn't technically allowed to lead, especially if this is a Roman quest. Annabeth would make the most sense, since she held the coin, but if worse came to worst, he didn't know if she would have the strength to complete the task. " _As opposed to who, you?"_ he thought cynically. _"Or Percy_?" He didn't even consider Percy as a candidate; too volatile and abrasive. They wouldn't get anything done if he were the leader. Then again, maybe that was Jason's natural distrust of him showing through. " _No, don't even think about it. Even if some of it's your bias, you can't risk something this important."_

He wouldn't get the chance to volunteer himself, though, as someone spoke up before him. "I think Jason should lead the quest."

All eyes, including Jason's, shot to the one who said it; Percy himself. "W…what?"

"He led a quest for us to protect Hera against Wrath, he recovered his memories through sheer force of will, and he's one of the most powerful demigods I know," he rattled them off. "If any one of us is both qualified and willing, it's him."

" _And willing?"_ Jason thought numbly, barely registering it. Reyna seemed satisfied with the proposal, and she smiled as she turned to him.

"Do you accept?" she asked. Jason wasn't going to refuse, that was for sure. Still, before he agreed, Annabeth seemed to want to speak. She fidgeted in her seat and muttered a few words. "…Is there something you want to say?"

"I…no," Annabeth's gaze shifted down to the table, where she was playing with the coin.

"Then, I'll ask again. Jason, do you accept this quest?"

He took a deep breath. "…yes."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey all, so I cheated. I'm not done with MoA yet, but I don't really care. I'm really itching for feedback and this is the perfect opportunity.**

 **So, quick note about the structure of this book; it's going to alternate plot and character, so this chapter was plot, next will be character, and it was alternate from there. The plan is to go until chapter 45, which will end MoA. My justification for this is tha TI play Fire Emblem. That game lets you pair units together during gameplay and build their relationships, which results in these little support conversations, and I thought, hey I can work this concept in. So the character chapters will be like a series of support conversations...only they won't all end happily after three.**

 **So with that, here we go with the daily uploads!**


	33. The Greatest Feeling

"Are you going to tell me why you replaced our friend?" were Jason's first words once Reyna and him were alone.

"For the same reason I attend emergency Senate meetings at three in the damn morning; because I had to," was her immediate answer. "And what have you to say for giving away her treasure, lad?"

"It was when I lost my memory and she needed the warmth…and by the time she didn't…well, I didn't need it anymore. Look, it's not important; you've elected the root of Tempus' death to replace her and take her name!"

"It wasn't my choice," Reyna assured. "If I didn't accept it, then there might not have been a Legion to return to; there are things that I can't do alone. I needed someone by my side and you weren't around."

"What about Octavian?" Jason questioned. "He's perfectly capable."

"He isn't ready," Reyna claimed. "You know that."

"…It's still a better solution than this…" Jason muttered.

"Don't sulk; it isn't proper for a true Roman," she slapped his arm, making him stand up straighter. "Besides, and I can't believe I'm saying this, he's not a bad lad. He wants to make good on his mistakes; allow him the chance, like you did me?"

"…"

"You're too much like Tammy to not give him that," Reyna kissed his cheek.

The son of Jupiter took a deep breath as they embraced. "…Alright…if you trust him, then I guess I can give him a chance," They separated a bit. "…Promise that you'll be diplomatic."

"You have a pirate's word."

"That's not worth much," Jason noted, chuckling.

"Any pointers? Their Faun friend gave me directions, but as for when I arrive…"

"Meet Winona and Chiron. Chiron is their version of Mother, the one who trains them to survive. Winona is the head of camp since Percy is away."

Reyna nodded. "I'll take select members of the Legion; the Second and Fourth, along with the Amazons, should be sufficient to guard New Rome when we're away. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me," he replied. "Take Octavian too. He's got a level head and you'll need that."

"Aye, those Greeks _are_ a shifty lot, aren't they?"

"No, they're not; we're just imagining that they are. They're doing the same towards us, but we can't give into that feeling," he grabbed her arm in warning. "Don't let yourself get overly emotional with them, or it'll all explode out at once and then both sides will get hurt."

"…One of us has to be better," she recalled her sister's words. "Alright. You have my word as praetor."

"Good. Thank you," they kissed again.

"Now you have to promise me something."

"Anything."

She turned away. "…Be safe?" her voice quieted to almost a whisper as she said it. Jason blinked.

"I, uh…I can't promise that," he admitted. "But I'll back as soon as I can."

"…That'll have to do," she said. "Now go, prepare. You have but a few precious hours to be at home. And then you're off."

xxxXXXxxx

After the plan was decided upon and the meeting was officially over, Luke left. He didn't want to be a part of the mad rush of trying to be a part of the quest and not be left behind. He watched from afar, keeping an eye on Annabeth. " _Your job is done,"_ he thought. " _Percy is back; he can protect her better than you ever could."_

He heard footsteps. "You're not going with them?" Reyna wondered.

He chuckled. "No…no, I've had more than enough of the gods and their games. If they all want to play, fine; not me."

"You think they do this because they want to?" she wondered.

"…"

"You're in a unique position because your death; you aren't affected by their biases, at least not as severely. You could be the glue that holds them together."

"What? You're saying they need me? Yeah right."

"…You sell yourself short."

"Percy is there; they'll be fine."

"There may be a time when he won't be," she pointed out. "The Giants are stronger than the gods, and he can only match the latter at his best."

"…"

"The son of Poseidon is too distant; he'll push himself away from the others if he's ever backed into a corner. The daughter of Athena is driven to complete the tasks set out to her, yes, but she'll quickly be tunnel-visioned on the goal. The son of Hephaestus is naïve, too eager to prove himself. He looks up to the children of the Big Three, but neither truly believes that he can achieve his aspirations; he'll need someone with more experience than either. The child of Aphrodite doesn't trust her most valuable asset. She's never had a unique case like you to truly push her limits. The daughter of Hades, should you ever recover her, feels responsible for you, just as she feels indebted to the Titan Slayer. Without him, she simply wanders. The son of Jupiter is caught with split priorities; between his own wants, needs, and flaws, and the wants, needs, and flaws of Rome. He'll fall apart without guidance."

Luke took a deep breath and then followed it with a heavy sigh. "…How could you tell that so quickly from that meeting?" he questioned, before footsteps pounded around to corner, nearly running into him. It was Reyna.

"Gah!" both almost fell over from being startled. "Avast ye, lad! Annabeth is looking for you!"

Luke blinked, and looked behind him, seeing a retreating black cloak for only a fraction of a second before it was gone. He stood there dumbfounded for several seconds as Reyna tried to get his attention. Then he smirked, sighed, and returned with Reyna to play the gods' games along with the rest of them.

xxxXXXxxx

They were comfortably cruising eastward within a few hours. Jason elected to take his friends, Piper, Leo, and Grover, for various reasons. Piper had Charmspeak, which even she admitted when he asked that she'd be willing to use for something this important. Leo showed Jason how to fly the Argo II, but he was their dedicated mechanic and helmsman. Grover was there as extra protection; what he lacked in flashy powers, he made up for with worldly knowledge and questing experience. He was the one who'd been out in the dangerous world the most because of his duties as a satyr. Annabeth came, obviously, because of her coin. Jason also felt that it'd be beneficial to trade experiences of switching places, as he'd heard that, unlike him, she didn't recover her memories. Along with her came both Percy and Luke. Luke was her official retainer at camp, which was backwards to Jason, and Percy refused to let her go without him, much to her chagrin at first.

And that was their team; six demigods (and a satyr) who were all either extremely powerful or exceptionally important children of their respective godly parents.

"Hey, where are we going?" Leo wondered to Jason, who was standing near the boy, looking out into the clouds. Annabeth was nearby as well.

"Does the notebook point to anything?"

"There isn't any new message," she relayed. "I don't know when they'll start, either. She said they'll appear based on our location. What was the prophecy she got before she went to the Ancient Lands?"

"She didn't say."

Annabeth frowned. "Pretty secretive, wasn't she?" she accused, putting a hand on her hip.

"More than I thought," Jason agreed. He lowered his eyes, trying to think of the best course of action. That's when he saw a light below them, heading in the same direction. "What's that?"

Annabeth joined him in looking, but didn't have an answer. "It looks like a trick of the light," she said.

"No, I've seen it before; it's the silver light that Lady Artemis used to guide us," he claimed. "Leo, can Festus detect it?"

"I'm reading something," he said. "Follow it?"

"Follow it," Jason confirmed, and so the ship listed to pursue the light.

"Hey, since I've got you for a second, do you mind if we talk?" Annabeth asked the Roman.

" _Odd…does she want to talk about what being switched was like?"_ Jason thought. "Sure, what's up?"

"I just thought I should let you know; I think _I_ should've led the quest."

Jason blinked. "O-oh, well…"

"From Tempus' last entry, it doesn't sound like we're after a Roman artifact, but maybe a Greek one. It would only make sense that a Greek would lead the quest to retrieve it."

The son of Jupiter frowned. " _She's implying that she could lead better than me? What gives her the right to say that?"_ he thought. "But you don't know that."

"No, I don't. I also can't know whether or not you're qualified. Both would take a leap of faith to assume."

"Well, anytime you want to know why I'm 'qualified', just ask," he said. "Because unlike you, I regained my memories."

Annabeth frowned at that, and after he had the chance to process what he'd said, Jason almost regretted the words. Almost. Leo whistled.

"Damn…that's cold," he said, having overheard the conversation.

"No, it was…reasonable," Annabeth admitted. "I was under the impression that you were a pushover, given how submissive you were toward Reyna and from how she described you."

"…You don't trust me, do you?"

She studied him for a moment; the way she looked at Jason made him think that she was trying to find a weakness. "No, I don't," she said finally. "But Percy and Reyna seem to, and Luke is always here if things go wrong."

"You trust him when he nearly destroyed both of our homes and killed our friends?"

"Yeah, I do."

"How?"

"Because I do," was all she gave as an answer, before walking away.

"Damn…" Leo repeated. "You want I should try and smooth things over?" he wondered. Jason sighed.

"No, just…let it sit for a while. It'll work out…I hope."

"Hey, looks like you're learning not to butt in too hard with people, huh?" the boy teased, to which he got a glare. "Eh, I'm just messing."

" _He means well,"_ Jason reminded himself. "You're good for following that thing, right?"

"As good as can be," he assured.

"Alright; I'll keep feeling out for unexpected objects around us. I'll let you know if something comes up."

"Aight, captain," Leo mock saluted before returning his attention to his various odd controls.

Truthfully, Jason wasn't keeping a very good watch on the sky around them; he trusted Leo and Festus and their various sensors enough to try and focus on the people aboard with him. " _We can't let our differences divide us,"_ he thought numbly, trying to find someone to approach. His first instinct was Piper, but she and Percy were in the middle of a training session, made possible because of the advanced stabilizers that the Civil War-era Hephaestus kids thought up. It was like walking on the ground while there was a gentle breeze, it was so smooth.

He already said goodbye to Leo, and Annabeth clearly didn't want to talk after their initial spat. That left Luke, whom Jason definitely didn't want to talk to. Besides, he was busy observing Percy's lesson. Except that the two locked eyes for a brief moment as Jason thought about it.

Luke smiled and stood, taking Jason briefly looking at him as indication that he wanted to talk. "Hiya," the older man greeted, his smile off-setting the gnarly scar running down his face.

"Hey," Jason returned, doing his best not to be curt, though he was sure he came across that way.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot last time. I'm Luke. And you're Jason. I've heard a lot about you."

"…Like what?"

"Like how you single-handedly beat Krios; _that's_ pretty impressive," the host of Kronos said, crossing his arms. Jason wanted to take it with a grain of salt, but the man's voice and demeanor was too genuine for that. "I haven't had the chance to do my research, but preliminarily, I think you're a good fit for the leader."

"Well, that makes two of us at least."

"Hm?"

"…Annabeth thinks she would've been better," Jason said.

"You both gave your strengths," Luke shrugged. "So, what do you think?" he wondered, gesturing to Percy's lesson.

"About what?"

"Whatever you want to talk about that's there."

"…I think it's insulting that Percy is holding back," the son of Jupiter decided. "He came at me with triple the speed and power."

"And he fought me with about ten to twelve times as much," Luke conceded.

"So he _was_ hiding something from me."

"No, I don't think that's it. I think he just doesn't want to waste his time."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

"Look, kid, you've got a _long_ way to go before you match him or me. The way I see it, you'll either get it through hard work over a long period, or desperation. The way things are going, I'm betting on the latter, because you definitely aren't strong enough to follow this quest to the end."

"You Greeks tend to boast a lot," Jason claimed.

"It wasn't boasting; it was just a fact," Luke retorted. "Of course, if you don't believe me, then we can go a few rounds and find out. Unlike Percy, I don't know how to hold back."

And thus, Jason was at an impasse. If he backed down, he would be seen as a coward by potentially the strongest person on the ship (who Jason still wasn't sure the intentions of), and if he agreed, then he ran the risk of making a fool of himself and losing control of the crew that way. Luckily, this was when Luke laughed.

"Gods, you're as white as a sheet!" he cackled, garnering a glare from the son of Jupiter. "Kid, you've gotta loosen up."

"I might be able to if you weren't around," Jason snapped, making Luke look at him.

"Oh, I see how it is…" he trailed off. "What do I gotta say?"

"There's nothing _to_ say," Jason claimed.

"…Look, Jason, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I'm an enemy of every single race of immortal out there. If I'm not, I'm definitely not their friend. What, do you think I'm here doing Kronos' will? I feel him inside me, and he's more terrified of the Giants than we are. If I were follow his feelings, I'd be hiding back at your Camp Jupiter. But I'm not. You wanna know why? I've got a responsibility. To Percy, to Annabeth, to Reyna, and to you; you guys are the whole reason I'm here. I gotta make sure you'll make it out alright, because you all sure as hell deserve it after what I put you through last summer."

"…" Jason didn't know what to say to that.

"You still look unconvinced."

"Tell me that he's not in control. Tell me that everything you said is the truth," Jason ordered.

"You have my word, son of Jupiter," Luke vowed. "And with any luck, it'll stay that way."

"…Alright," Jason conceded, taking a deep breath.

"Good. Now that we've got us squared away, I think it's about time you worked on that other rough patch," Luke gestured to Percy. His lesson had ended, leaving Piper to bother Leo.

"…I _really_ don't want to talk to him."

"Too bad. He's with us, so you've got to deal with him eventually."

"…If I do this, can you try and talk to Annabeth?"

"…Jeez, you're really bad at introductions, aren't you?"

"Yeah…" Jason admitted. Luke chuckled and pat the man on the back.

"Well, don't worry; I'll smooth things over for you."

With that, Jason was left alone. Percy was leaning over the railing, seeming almost content with being where he was. " _How can he be?"_ Jason wondered. " _Potential conversation starter? 'Hey! I was wondering how you look so happy given that we're on a suicide mission!' No, too forceful,"_ he concluded. In the end, he just went up and tried to act like a normal person. "Hey."

"Yo. Need something?"

"No, just wanted to talk."

"About what?"

Well, just, uh…" Jason stopped, realizing that he had no idea what to discuss. "How about what you think of all of this? The quest, the people here, or whatever else."

"Hm…well, as for what I think of being on the quest…I think it's a load of Pegasus-shit. I did my time; I stopped the Titans."

" _We_ stopped the Titans," Jason reminded him. "We have done and continue to perform a great service to the gods, along with all of our allies."

"You think I care about doing them a service?"

"I've been told you pledged allegiance," Jason argued.

"I said I'd cover their ass if they messed up; this constitutes, doesn't mean I'm happy about that. And how can _you_ be, given how you've had to upend everything you've ever known about your life to get with us Greeks?"

"Because it's an _honor_ to serve the gods, our parents."

" _That kind of loyalty should have to be earned,"_ Percy thought, though he didn't say anything. Jason figured he was probably thinking that the Romans didn't actually do anything substantial with the Titans, and that if Krios never attacked Camp Jupiter, that they never would've gotten involved. Jason would be inclined to believe him if that was his argument.

"In any case," Percy said finally. "You would probably think the reward they offered me is a greater honor than serving them."

"…What were you offered?"

"To become one of them; I was offered godhood."

Jason nearly spit out his drink, so to speak. This brute, this nigh-sociopath, was offered to be held in the same regard as Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, and the other gods, along with heroes like Hercules and Bacchus? He would've laughed, if not for that fact that Percy gave him little reason to believe that he was joking.

"And you refused?" Jason questioned.

"Of course I did," he said it so matter-of-factly. "I never wanted to be associated with them; they're violent, bitter people, the lot of them. Even Zoë is hyper-bitter about Heracles stiffing her on marriage. What I wouldn't do to sock that bastard for her…" Jason saw the man's form tense for a moment before relaxing.

"Wow…you were offered godhood….I can only imagine. It must have been the greatest feeling in the world to be given that."

Percy shook his head and chuckled. "Heh, no. The greatest feeling in the world was having sex with the woman that I love," he replied. Jason stepped back. "You disagree?"

"Well…yeah."

"Eh, it's okay; you'll get there with ol' stiffy eventually," he smirked, making Jason's face turn beat red. Percy didn't laugh though, to rub salt in the wound. Instead, props to him, he tried to be rational. "It's hard to describe the euphoria. Maybe for you, serving the gods is a worthy cause, but I've frankly had enough of their bullshit. Protecting them, I can do, but I never want to walk alongside them."

"…I think that's a mistake," Jason said. "And that you're wrong."

"Well, you haven't met a lot of them, so it's understandable."

"No, I meant you're wrong that serving is a worthy cause. It is, but that's not why I fight, why I work and sweat and bleed for the people around me. It's for the Roman ideal; honor, justice, law, loyalty. It's everything you Greeks lack."

"Well then maybe start following it, if it means so much to you," the son of Poseidon returned. Jason's jaw tightened. "Because last I checked, last Piper told me anyway, you get physically ill when you try and follow Lupa's teachings."

Jason didn't have anything to that, and soon, Percy walked away.

xxxXXXxxx

Annabeth wasn't sure how the notebook worked, and that bothered her. She tried everything she had access to on the Argo to crack it, to make words appear, but it seemed that Tempus had a pretty high-level understanding of Mist veils, and so the daughter of Athena made absolutely no progress on controlling it.

Instead, words appeared on their own. They read as follows:

"To the child of wisdom,

If you're reading this, then I can safely assume that you're committed to pursuing the Mark. That's good. That means what I suffered wasn't in vain, though that's also assuming you succeed. If you don't, do be kind enough to return the book to Reyna, so that she may pass it on to another candidate.

Apologies. That was fairly tactless.

Regardless of my own mannerisms in writing, I wish to discuss the Mark. I'll briefly explain in case you weren't aware; every year there is a quest, and every quest is given by the Sibylline Book, which I procured on my first quest. For the quest to follow the Mark, I was given the coin you now hold; it's the key. Along with said coin, I was given a prophecy. I do not know whether it will apply to you, but I will repeat it here nonetheless:

 _Journey to the Ancient Land_

 _As wisdom takes the ivory hand_

 _Through trial and through wind our sea_

 _As leaders bleed from a demon's plea_

 _Two minds connect through crimson blight_

 _You see the truth that is your light_

 _The worst of you will be revealed_

 _As madness reigns and darkness yield_

The first two lines spell it out; you go to the Ancient Lands to retrieve an artifact, the 'ivory hand' that the prophecy reveals. Note that I attempted to reveal both the end destination and the artifact in question by name, but neither stuck on the page. If you think my Mist manipulation is potent, then feast your mind on that; I couldn't even locate the source of that veil.

In any case, the prophecy, from my end, will be unveiled through the journey, because it involves the journey that can't be written down on paper. For now, let me tell you of my outlook on my quest, beginning from when I left Rome. I'll end is entry with a destination for you to go to, because I was given that from the book, along with the prophecy and the coin, though it was in different handwriting (I believe it was our mother's) as even I was picking up the quest from many, many generations before ours, rather than starting it fresh.

From the prophecy and the fact that there hadn't been a quest that failed utterly since the eighties (Jay had a slight mishap, but we got Reyna from the deal, so it evens out), I had a good feeling about the journey. The ending line is a mixed message, but it ends with darkness yielding, and it included a translated form of my favorite Roman proverb; the truth is my light. I thought that things would be fine; that, whatever happens, at least we'll return in glory. I had no doubt in my mind that hardship was coming, but then; it comes back to Roman proverbs.

Per angusta ad augusta. Through difficulties to honors.

I departed full of hope, through the Mare Nostrum as the prophecy foretold, but…I can't help but regret that decision to even go. It's selfish, but I wish that someone else would've been chosen.

And with that, I'll leave you. I promised a destination, and here it is. The Sibylline Book told me to go to Fort Sumter. It didn't say it that blatantly, but once you arrive, the coin will guide you. Be strong, and try not to look down. As you approach Our Sea, the next message will be revealed.

Your fellow child of wisdom"

 **Author's Note:**

 **#bestprophecyiveeverwritten**

 **Sorry about the late upload; I had to stay late for work. And apologies if you thought this chapter was one the shorter side. I know the first couple chapters in The Cruel spider were about a third of this length, but still, I try to hold myself to a word count stadnard, at least for this site.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought in a review, and I'll see you all tomorrow!**

 **Oh, and for the guest who I can't reply to, I made Hades so weak because it makes sense in the context of the world I created. If you want further clarification, I would recommend creating at least a temporary account and PMing me...or just leave another review (it's always nice to get that notification on my phone lol)**


	34. Can't Hold Us Forever

"Why are we here?" Leo wondered as the crew of the Argo II slid down to the ground.

"Because a god summoned us," Grover answered.

"Or maybe our leader saw a trick of the light," Luke waved it off.

"No, I've seen it before," Jason insisted. "It went down that highway," he pointed. No cars were to be seen, hinting at godly influence, if Jason had to stretch. "I don't think we should all go."

"Good plan," Annabeth agreed. "I'll stay; I got a message and I want to read it over again before we set another destination."

"Then I'll stay too," Luke agreed, though Annabeth figured it wasn't just to protect her, but to avoid the gods at all costs.

"I need to make some adjustments," Leo claimed. "Grover, can you help?"

"Of course, man," the satyr agreed. He looked to Jason and Piper. "Will you two be good without me?"

The two exchanged a look and offered a smile. Piper nodded. "We'll be fine; we'll be with a god," Jason reasoned. Grover didn't look too assured by that, but then again, he didn't look like he lacked confidence in them either.

"I'll go with you two," Percy spoke up, slightly surprising Annabeth. "Make sure that you don't get snuffed on whatever deal they want to make," Jason lowered his eyes, but didn't say anything. Jason whistled. "What are you doing?"

"Getting us a ride."

"Oh…well then. Agro!" he called his own mount's name, and within a few seconds of each other, the two demigods' mounts soared down and landed.

" _You called, Percy Jackson?"_ Agro spoke in his head.

"Been a while since you were out of camp, huh?" Percy mentioned, swinging onto his saddle. "Good thing we've been keeping you in top form."

" _I am_ always _in top form, peasant. You think too little of me, clearly."_

"Clearly," Percy humored him. Piper hopped onto Tempest, who was calm as she did; Jason opted to fly solo. "Never heard of a wind spirit who looks like a Pegasus. Doesn't talk like one, though."

"You can talk to Pegasi?"

"Most of them hate me, but yeah."

"Tch, wonder why…" Jason muttered under his breath. Within just a few seconds, they were all soaring down the empty highway, until they reached a sign that read Topeka 32, and the light stopped. Piper slid off of Tempest and approached the light. She reached out to touch it, but her hand passed straight through. She looked back to her companions, who looked just as confused.

"About time," a voice came from the side of the road, where a slightly pudgy man with short curly hair resided. He appeared from a grapevine that sprouted from the side of the road.

"Hey, Mr. D," Percy greeted curtly.

"Well, if it isn't my _favorite_ troublemaker, Perry Johnson."

"Oh man, have you been exercising? You're looking great!" Percy was equally patronizing. Dionysus glared. "Is this where you've been hiding? Haven't seen you around camp in a while, and let me say, it's nice to not smell alcohol every time I need to talk to Chiron."

"I should turn you into a kumquat," the god snarled, though, if it was possible, he did it lazily.

"Lord Dionysus," Jason bowed his head. "I'm honored that you would meet with us."

"Yeah, whatever. It's not for your benefit."

"We're well aware," Percy mentioned.

"You're not a part of this, you little snot."

"Man, I could _end_ you if I want-"

"Alright," Jason interrupted before they had a war on their hands. "Lord Dionysus. Why did you summon us?"

"Because I wanted to; no one else seems to want to put in the effort to help you all. They're busy 'defending their territory' or whatever."

"Thanks but no thanks."

"Percy," Jason warned.

"Hey, if you don't want to know about your death girl friend, then that's fine," the god said off-handedly, but he knew that he had Percy with that one line. The son of Poseidon's form tensed, his jaw tight.

"You know where Bianca is?"

"That I do. But you won't be able to get her without an immortal's help."

"Tell us where she is, and I'll get her myself," Percy demanded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I thought you didn't want my help," Dionysus mocked the Titan Slayer. The man glared at him, but the god seemed to relish that.

"Lord Dionysus, please. She could be a key player in our success."

"Oh, she will be; without her, you'll fail for sure," he agreed. "Tell you what; Porphyrion is sending some of his lackeys here at this very minute. Take them out, and I'll tell you where she is."

"Wait, what?"

Before they knew it, the god was gone, and the air around them shifted drastically, from cold and dry to warm and humid, but only in brief flashes, like something was whizzing by them at an unreal speed. Jason seemed to be the only one to keep up with them visually. "What the hell…?" Percy readied Riptide, but whatever was around them, hit him. He lurched forward, slumping over Agro.

"Piper, look out!" Jason dove for her and knocked her out of the way of whatever it is that was attacking them. Jason was hit instead, and he went limp the same way that Percy had. They both went straight, their eyes having turned a sickly greenish-brown.

Piper drew her own blade as both of them turned on her. "You, the speaker," Percy said, though it was far from his own voice. "You will fall, as will the Aduro. This one will live."

Piper furrowed her brow, confused, though most of that was as why these two insanely powerful demigods were about to slaughter her. She leapt onto Tempest as they charged. The spirit soared, sensing the danger, sprinting fast away from their attacks. Jason shot a concussive wind through toward them, but Tempest managed to avoid it, but couldn't avoid Percy's water jet, sending them spiraling out of the sky.

Percy pursued Tempest, to keep him from recovering and helping Piper. Jason was on the daughter of Aphrodite, and in a split second, Piper screamed, "Catch me!"

Jason stopped following, his gaze hazy at best, before his eyes returned to normal and his body willed itself toward her. He swooped under her, catching her just like he did those months ago at the Canyon, only this time he wasn't so confident. His face was sickly pale, and sweated beaded his forehead. "P-Piper, I don't…there's…something inside-" he couldn't finish struggling through his sentence, as he lurched forward again, dropping her. "You will die," he said, in that awful voice that Percy had.

Piper broke into a run away from him, hoping that Tempest could get to her. Unfortunately, this was when Percy caught up, blasting her with water and knocking her into the guard rail. She rolled out of the way of Jason's stab, and managed to bring her blade up to block Percy attack. " _Remember your forms,"_ she thought, running through one to disarm her opponent. She successfully disarmed Percy, but Jason was another story entirely. She had to run; his range and superior skill was too much. " _Think,"_ she demanded in her head. " _Jason said there was something inside. What monster can control people?"_ she was drawing a blank on that one, diving out of the way of another water jet, right as Tempest caught up. She swung onto his back and they soared low and fast.

She knew she'd never make it back to the Agro II; the boys wouldn't allow that, and in fact, she was quickly being herded to fly the opposite direction. She didn't even get the chance to think of plan before they were both on her. Jason worked to blast them out of the sky as Piper herself was distracted with trying to ward off Percy's blade as he rode parallel to her. He got off a good few cuts, including a nasty gash on her sword arm. Thankfully, her adrenaline helped her to retain usage of it. Soon, though, Jason succeeded, flying up close and thunder-clapping. The impact was much stronger than Piper remembered, likely because Jason regained superior control of it upon remembering his past.

Whatever the case, she was sent skidding along the road, with Tempest sent farther, plummeting into the area off the side. Piper stood, and for a split second, saw the two most powerful demigods in the world flying toward her, each aiming for her head. Without thinking, she yelled. "Stop!"

The scream echoed through the empty landscape, as all other noise ceased. The two boys froze mid-swing, and didn't move, almost as if they were frozen in time. "You will die," Jason said.

"And then he will as well," Percy agreed.

"Who are you?" Piper demanded.

"The Eidolons," both of them answered immediately. "You cannot hurt us once we are inside of a host. You cannot kill us without killing the host."

It didn't take Piper very long to figure out a solution to that. " _Choose your words very carefully,"_ she reminded herself, not exactly feeling very confident. "Eidolons, leave their bodies, and never enter a demigod body ever again."

What sunk out of the boys' bodies were these green wisps of wind, the visible currents forming a vaguely humanoid outline of a body. Even as they obeyed, the Eidolons laughed. "Foolish girl, Charmspeak can't hold us forever. Just until we leave you, do you hold sway on us."

"Then don't leave. Stay here and fight us," Piper ordered. No laughter came from them this time. " _No, no, no! You didn't just direct that at them!"_ she realized, seeing Jason and Percy turn on each other. "Not you two demigods," she quickly added, and they lulled back into place. " _Shit, why didn't you just tell the stupid wind things to stand still and let us stab them? Can I overlap two orders like that? Probably not if they contradict…"_

Piper found herself scowling in frustration as her Charmspeak wore off of all of them. The boys' eyes were normal, if not a bit glazed over from confusion, and the Eidolons were flying around frantically, unable to leave due to Piper's orders.

"What happened?" Percy questioned. Piper pointed at the Eidolons in the sky.

"Those monsters controlled us," Jason guessed, to which Piper nodded. She used her sign language.

'They can't anymore, and they can't leave unless we fight them.'

He nodded, turning to Percy to relay, but he was already ramping up Agro for a fight. Tempest quickly returned to Piper's side at Jason's behest, and the three took off.

The fight almost immediately devolved into chaos, at least from the bystander's point of view. Weapons slashed through the enemy like putty, but they never truly seemed to die. It was difficult to gauge how well the demigods were doing, as from afar, it looked like they were doing a very poorly choreographed Pegasus show.

From within the fight, however, each fighter was acutely aware of everyone else. Jason maintained absolute zoning control over their opponents, keeping them to where his allies could easily get to them. Percy and Piper flew in opposite circular motions, periodically slashing and stabbing through the enemy. In the rare few times that the Eidolons managed an offensive, it was at Piper, the least experienced of the bunch, though still trained. At one point, she was knocked off of Tempest, only to be quickly stopped in the air by Jason, as Percy shot a slide of hardened water under her to let her slip back onto her mount safely, trusting that Jason would keeping them contained as he did so.

With a final push, Piper and Percy landed killing blows on the pseudo-wind spirits, with a joint downward slash into their heads, or what would be their heads if they were actually solid.

The three landed, satisfied. Percy shuffled off of Agro. "Not bad for your first real battle since Manhattan," Percy mentioned to the horse, who snotted all in his hair.

" _Please, peasant. Could you not behold my majesty even so close?"_

Annoyed, Percy washed the crap from his hair as Jason landed. The man nuzzled up to his wind spirit. "That was _great_ , Tempest! You really came alive out there!" he exclaimed, with the spirit neighing in triumph. Percy looked on, slightly jealous.

"Why can't we be like that?" he wondered.

" _Because you are a peasant in the face of royalty,"_ Agro answered. Percy scoffed, but didn't get the chance to respond as this was when the wine dude returned.

He was clapping as he reappeared. "Excellent work, heroes. You all did wonderfully," he said sarcastically. "Maybe next time, be a little quicker to the trigger."

"Enough with the games; where's Bianca?" Percy demanded.

"What?"

"Tell us where she is!"

"Oh, right, the girl. Yes; you need to follow the Mark of Athena or…whatever," the god waved it off and turned away.

"What? That's it?" Percy questioned. "We're doing that anyway! I want to know where she is!"

"I'll have that Huntress send you a dream later; for now, keep going with the daughter of wisdom. Even if you all fail, _she_ needs to succeed, or the war is over."

The god began to disappeared. "Lord Dionysus, please," Jason called, halting the god briefly. "You said we would need your help if we were to get her back. What did you mean?"

"Because a Giant is guarding her," he answered, surprisingly succinct. "Originally one half of the twins, named Otis, but he goes by Gluttony nowadays. He may not have been the one to do her in, but if the death girl ever escapes, you can be sure as hell he can catch her again. Even with the both of you," he pointed as Jason and Percy. "No, _especially_ with the both of you, he'll mop the floor. You'll need me."

"Yeah, not likely," Percy crossed his arms. Dionysus glared at the man.

"So arrogant…fine. Even if you refuse my help, I'll be there when you confront him, if for nothing else than to watch you be torn apart by that monster. And by the way, I'd get a move on. It looks like Porphyrion doesn't want you to get very far on your quest."

And with that, the god disappeared in a flourish of grapevines.

Almost immediately after he left, the three started hearing a rumbling sound, and soon after that, about a hundred undead soldiers rose up from the ground around them, all in that greenish-brownish glow.

Percy tensed. "We need to go," he said, quickly climbing onto Agro and flying away, his allies right on his heels. Unfortunately, so were the archers. They shot a massive volley, only warded off by Jason tearing through the air behind them, securing their escape. The soldiers kept sprouting as they flew, and arrows came too fast and too frequently for them to look back and see if any were disappearing. They flew back to the Argo II, which was already in the air and firing on the soldiers, killing them in droves with the auto-aiming cannons and Festus' fire blasts. Once the trio was safely on the airship, Leo punched the throttle, literally, and they went soaring off. Later, Jason learned that Annabeth had told them their next destination, Fort Sumter, in South Carolina.

"What are they?" Jason questioned, willing Tempest away once they'd made sufficient distance from the enemy.

"Lust spawn," Percy said. "He summons them from nowhere; they wiped out the Hunters, so they can't be taken lightly."

Jason nodded. "How'd they find us?"

"Zoë tells me that immortals can sense one another, to an extent. My guess is he found us through Mr. D."

"Like how Lady Artemis sensed the danger before it came," Jason recalled, silently wondering if demigods could develop such an ability. He knew that Reyna had something similar, akin to the Spider-Sense, but to sense the presence of another innately was something else entirely. " _Food for thought."_

Still, with assurance that Bianca would connect with the Mark of Athena's path, the crew sailed on.

xxxXXXxxx

A dark place…

"I'm not expecting you to stop them," Pride said. "You're busy with the Underworld. You don't have to be so obsessed."

"I'm not obsessed. I was told to keep anyone from going to the Ancient Lands. I'll be damned if the name of Lust is tainted by failure."

"Yeah, sure," Pride waved it off. "Even if you don't succeed, though, you can consider if a victory. After all, it means everything else will go according to plan."

"You mean it's ready?" Lust looked over to the corner of the room, where a figure lay, only illuminated by a small candlelight. They were writing.

"Yes," Pride confirmed. "It took some doing, but it's a huge success itself. A fully functional, artificial Giant with a physical body. The only thing is that it isn't too sturdy, but that's because of the material I chose to work with."

"You had to use a mortal body," Lust recalled. "And it doesn't remember anything?"

"Even if it does, who cares? It won't disobey its God."

"You're sure?" Lust questioned. Pride gave his ally a look of warning not to doubt him. "R-right…Where is Wrath?"

"The oaf? He is wreaking havoc upon Poseidon's domain. Within a few days, or weeks, depending on resistance, he should have killed the sea god and his army."

"By himself?"

"Not all of you need an army at your side," Pride reminded his ally. "Now go. Leave me. I must attend to that rainbow goddess awhile."

"For?"

Pride gave him another look of warning, but answered nonetheless. "Because her unique power will be useful to me. It could be that her powers still work after her death, but with them, I can show anyone whatever I desire, and at a perfect moment, it could be useful."

"What does that make? Plan E, or are you at G?"

Pride responded without addressing the question. "Leave, before I grow tired of your presence."

"Y-yes, sir…" Lust did an awkward little half-bow, before disappearing in a greenish glow. Pride gave one last look to his crowning experiment, Envy, before leaving himself. He needed to retrieve his Greed in preparation for the endgame.

Envy simply wrote:

"Alcyoneus: Lust

The Giant made to be Hades/Pluto's bane. Originally, had the strength of a Giant but no other notable abilities. After being revived by Pride, he was granted new powers; to raise an army of the dead. The powers were cultivated from those of Hades, and boosted to an insurmountable degree, Lust can summon soldiers from anywhere, regardless of his own location, though it takes significantly less energy to do so should he be near the summoning location. Familiars summoned off-location have basic motor functions, and when zeroed in on the target, will act as if they were alive and fighting.

Strengths: crowd-control/ultimate army stall. While his familiars lack modern training, they're still a more worthy foe than the average monster, ranking around the mid-tier of skill between demigods. In addition, he still has all of the strength that he once did. Even if he were to be in a state where he could be directly attacked, he would quickly be able to either end the fight by destroying an exhausted opponent, or retreat from one.

Weaknesses: limited energy. While Giants are the most powerful race of immortals barring the Protogenoi, their energy supply isn't limitless. While further testing is required to learn the true extent of his summoning abilities both on and off location, he will eventually run out of juice. In addition, his ability to successfully plan attacks on off-location targets is hindered, as he is forced to see through the eyes of his familiars in that scenario. Should the target be fast enough to out-pace his familiars, their escape is all but ensured.

General personality traits include: tendency toward subordination, tendency toward compliment hunting, tendency to over-extend himself.

Suggested strategy of defeat: a joint effort from multiple angles. Should he ever be in a position to have to defend two fronts or attacks two fronts, push hard on both simultaneously, allowing him minimal time for recovery. His overall strength is at least partially weakened when he has an army summoned; possible advantage of lowered power necessary to secure the kill.

Overall chance of being killed during Giant War: 5/10. Given the exact right circumstances, through either luck or strategy, Lust's weakness can be exploited for a relatively smooth victory."

Envy set down its pen, and closed the notebook it was writing in. It then snuffed out the candle, and the dark place became darker.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So a couple of things about this chapter. First, for those who want more Piper, here you go. This won't even be close to the extent that she's used in the story, but here's a taste.**

 **Second, remember this chapter title. It's kinda important, even if it seems so innocuous.**

 **Third, uh...review, and I'll see you tomorrow!**


	35. Don't Trust Yourself

_A light…a light so far away…_

 _Percy found himself at the end of a pier, feeling as if he was to stand there forever. His mind never strayed far from the light, that beautiful glow in the distance. He reached out his hand, trying to grasp it. "Save us…"_

 _He wondered what it was sometimes, what it was supposed to be anyway. Part of him wondered if this was supposed to be a vision sent by the gods, but the thought hardly crossed his mind. He would've gotten something concrete if that were the case._

 _But this…this was more of a feeling. "You won't reach it, son," a voice came from his left; the fisherman he'd met twice who'd helped him. "You're focusing on the wrong things."_

 _Percy didn't heed his advice this time; how could he focus on anything except the light? "Save us…"_

" _Percy," a tug on his arm; Annabeth. In her other arm was a child, wrapped in white blankets. "I need your help."_

 _His eyes never shifted away from the horizon. "Save us…"_

 _Percy reached further, almost having the will to step toward it. Something drew him back, though. His arm burned. He held it where it hurt, as the mantra kept repeating in his ears. "Save us. Save us. Save us."_

 _The burning ceased, and Percy saw what had hurt. Eight letters, etched forever into his flesh; STNABMSL. His eyes returned to the light, and in its place were seven figures, all reaching back for him. "Why didn't you save us?" they said in unison. Sally, Tyson, Nico, Artemis, Beckendorf, Michael, Silena. "Why didn't you save us?"_

" _You saved me," he heard behind him. Luke put a hand on his shoulder, and put another on Percy's arm, on the "L."_

" _I can…still help them…" Percy muttered._

" _Save us."_

" _Save me," Annabeth urged at his side._

" _Save us," the seven repeated. Percy found himself walking forward. The hands of his friends leaving him, as he stepped into the water, toward the light. He swam, the water entering his mouth and nose as he didn't even try to keep them out. He coughed several times, the feeling being unfamiliar to him. The water was cold, freezing even, chilling him to the bone._

 _He started swimming slower, the light growing evermore distant. He could barely keep himself afloat. "Save us."_

 _He dropped beneath the surface, water filling his lungs as he struggled to breathe. "Save us."_

 _He continued reaching, desperately trying to reach the light. "Save us."_

Percy awoke before his alarm went off. He'd forgotten to turn the overhead light off the night prior for his reading. For a terrifying moment, he thought it was the light from his dream. He sat up, and looked around; the room he'd been given on the Argo II. They were on their way to follow the Mark of Athena, he reminded himself. The son of Poseidon felt something warm on his cheeks. He reached up, feeling something wet. Tears had fallen down his face from the experience. He quickly wiped them away, and looked up.

He found that the light was still enticing.

xxxXXXxxx

"Are you alright, Piper?" Annabeth wondered, noticing the girl hunched over the dining table. The daughter of Aphrodite barely lifted her head to look, before resting it back onto her arm. Annabeth hesitated to go try and comfort her, but…she didn't really _know_ her…, and it's not like she didn't have other friends to help her out. " _Like Percy,_ " Annabeth thought, making her frown. The thought of them being able to talk out their problems but not her and Percy made her angry, if only slightly. Though angry wasn't the right word, more like jealous. She approached, and sat down on the chair next to her. "Are you alright?" Annabeth repeated, trying to sound as genuine as possible, even when she was only doing this so that Percy didn't.

Piper reached to take out her pen, but didn't make it. She barely managed to turn to the floor before vomiting up her whole breakfast. "Oh gods!" Annabeth recoiled from the sudden reaction. Piper had it worse, as she started swaying and then falling. "Oh no, no, no, no, no," she caught the girl before she fell into her own vomit.

Within a few minutes, Annabeth had her in the sick bay, cleaned and laid up in a bed. Grover was there; their resident healer. He worked his nature magic a bit before standing. "I don't see anything really wrong with you," he said, confused. "But I gave some stuff to ease nausea and make you all dopey, make you sleep better. Take it easy, aight?"

Piper nodded, and then she and Annabeth were left alone. "…Do you know what brought this on?" Annabeth wondered. The younger girl nodded again. She made a motion to write, and Annabeth retrieved her magic pen for her.

'Charmspeak,' she wrote. It took Annabeth a moment to read it; there wasn't a Greek word for it, so she has to use English characters. After she wrote that word, she wrote in Greek, though returned to English if she needed to repeat it. 'I used it too much I think.'

Annabeth crossed her arms. "I guess that's possible," she said. "From what I heard from Jason, you only said a few things. Is it really that draining?" Piper shook her head and shrugged; she didn't know. "How do you know so little about your own powers?" Piper closed her eyes, trying to ignore the question. "Piper, if it hurts you this much to use it, then you clearly need to get better control."

'All due respect, you don't know what you're talking about,' she wrote without even looking in her direction.

"I know about a lot of people with a lot of scary powers. They all have control. I think it'd be best if you got control too," Annabeth said. Piper went to write, but Annabeth kept talking. "And I'm saying that for me; _I_ would be feel much better and safer if you knew what the hell you were doing with something so powerful."

Piper hesitated upon hearing her rationale, having never particularly thought about it that way. She wrote slowly, not entirely sure of the question. 'Do you have any ideas?'

"Not if you can't give me a rundown."

Piper nodded and started writing. 'When I speak, people do what I tell them.'

"Okay…what if you said what you wrote just now; what would happen?"

'Probably nothing.'

"Probably?" Annabeth crossed her arms. "That's not good enough, Piper."

The girl's lips tucked into a frown as she continued writing. 'Nothing would happen unless I tell you to do something, or not to do something.'

"So, hypothetically, if you told someone to kill themselves…?"

'They would do it without question.'

"Can you target specific people or groups of people?"

Piper hesitated, trying to remember a time when that came up. 'Yes,' she wrote, recalling when she manipulated just those Cyclopes when they were captured. 'If you're going to just tell me to practice controlling it, then please don't. I've tried and tried, but nothing helps unless I rework my whole brain to always catch myself before ordering someone to do something.'

"I wasn't going to suggest that. I was actually going to ask another question; does your Charmspeak affect immortals?"

Piper paused again. 'I don't know; it hasn't come up yet. The only immortal I've spoken to is my mother and it didn't affect her.'

"But she passed it onto you, so that could be why she's not affected, not that she's an immortal…" Annabeth closed her eyes, trying to think. "…Alright," she said, standing. "Wait here and rest. I'm going to go snoop around the people who know more gods than me. I have an idea, but I'm going to get a hundred percent guarantee that it'll be safe."

Piper nodded, though Annabeth didn't see it, as she was walking out of the room. Once Piper was alone, she started shaking. " _You aren't actually going to use it, are you?"_ she asked herself. " _You know what happened last time you tried branching out with it…"_

Her legs came up to her chest and she wrapped her arms around them, trying to focus on her breathing as her heartrate picked up, remembering the nausea, remembering the gut-wrenching pain the enveloped her as she felt people's thoughts and emotions and memories twist beneath her voice's power…

" _Think of something, anything! Think of Jason, think of how he'd encourage you, how he'd comfort you. Remember our word, remember our word…"_ she silently begged. "Velaira…velaira…velaira…" she repeated the nonsense word over and over. She took a deep breath, in and out, and then another, in and out, until she finally settled down.

The door then opened, as if on cue, and the first thing Piper noticed was his scar.

xxxXXXxxx

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Jason asked, after catching Percy after one of his lessons. "I don't think there's any good way of saying this, but I think you should stop being so abrasive."

"Eh?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "You're _just_ now saying this?"

"I think it reached a tipping point when you started mouthing off to a god."

"Oh…the answer is no," the son of Poseidon started walking away.

"Wait!" Jason caught his arm, stopping him. He closed his eyes. " _How do I get through to him…?"_

"Maybe you should start being _more_ abrasive," Percy suggested. "You're a pushover, Grace, ever since I beat you."

"It's not in my nature."

"Well, neither is your suggestion for me," Percy put a hand on his hip. "And besides; I'm not here to make friends with you or anyone else here for that matter. I'm here for Annabeth," he claimed. Jason looked so close to following up, but he set his jaw. Percy smirked. "Go on; retort."

With that, the flood gates opened for argument. "Are you so unilaterally driven?" Jason questioned. "I can't believe there isn't more to you than that. What about Luke?"

"What about him?"

"I didn't get much about him, but I know you cared about him."

"Yeah, and he's alive, which is all I wanted. I'll talk with him, sure, but…what else do you want?"

"Maybe offer me a reason not to abandon him somewhere? He's hosting the Lord of the Titans within him; he could snap at any moment. We don't know how much control he has, or whether or not it fluctuates or whether it depends on location; nothing! He's a liability."

"…"

"Can't you offer anything? Why did you care if he was alive?"

"Because he deserves a second chance," Percy answered. "I wanted him to be alive because he deserves a second chance…he was dealt a bad hand from the start; insane mother, on the run most of his childhood, ignored by his father, thrust into position after position of leadership that he didn't want. Kronos lied to him, but he also gave Luke solace, for a time. I want him to find it again, in this life…and if that's at Camp Jupiter…then fine…if it's with us on this quest, then that's fine too."

Jason took a step back. "I…"

"…You what?" Percy didn't realize it, but his eyes had settled into a piercing glare. "Kronos tried breaking him once, but as soon as he made Luke go against his nature, he lost it all. Luke _is_ in control. Still think he's a liability? Or do you want him on your side now?"

Percy left without another word. Annabeth came up to him shortly after, with Jason still staring off after the son of the sea god. She whistled. "That's rough, buddy," she teased.

"You were listening?" Jason wondered.

"Yep!"

"And?"

"And what?"

"Do you agree with him?"

Annabeth looked at him like it was a stupid question. "Why wouldn't I?"

"…I need to talk to Luke," Jason thought aloud, his head numb.

"Cool, so do I! Ladies first," the girl bounded off in the man's direction, while Jason was left to think for a time.

xxxXXXxxx

Luke hesitantly opened the door to the sick bay, where Piper sat curled into a ball on the bed. "Um…" he had no idea what to say, after hearing what had happened from Annabeth. He definitely wasn't going to ask if she was okay; she was literally in the sick bay, so the answer was obvious.

Piper had her pen out within a few seconds. He eyes were wide as if in realization. 'You're technically immortal,' she wrote in Greek, so he could read it quickly.

"Um…no," he answered, getting a chair and sitting beside her. "But, because of Kronos' influence, I use some of their traits. I'm tougher than most demigods, faster and stronger too. I don't get affected by things that mortals are weak to, like, for example, a god's Divine Form."

'What about Charmspeak?'

"Not sure," Luke crossed his arms. "Tell me to do something, and we'll find out," Piper opened her mouth hesitantly. Her lips formed words, but they didn't come out, too scared to rise from her throat. Luke saw that she was shaking, her eyes cloudy. "Alright, let's slow it down. We don't have to try this right away if you don't want to."

'I don't want to use Charmspeak ever.'

"…"

'But everyone keeps telling me to use it, to master it; first Jason, then Percy, now Annabeth. But I can't, because if I try, then I'll slip up and someone will get hurt.'

"If everyone is telling you to do something, then either they're part of a hive-mind mentality or they're right. I figure if both Greeks _and_ Romans are saying the same thing, then it's not the former," he said. "Piper, you know about fatal flaws?"

The girl nodded. 'Percy told me to try and think about my charmspeak as a fatal flaw; good in moderation.'

"Don't think of it like that," Luke said immediately. "Because if you get that in your head, then you'll never be able to push it to its limits. If Percy treated his powers like that, he'd have never beaten me on Olympus last summer. Hell, Jason could've arguably saved Tempus if he hadn't been so afraid to use his powers. Think of your Charmspeak like a muscle; that's how Kronos' powers work for me, that's how Thalia and Jason's powers work, and how Percy's works. You train it like a muscle; push it to its absolute limit so that next time, you can push further beyond."

'How can I train my voice?'

"You need a sparring partner," he smirked, pointed to himself. "And that'd be me," Her eyes clouded and her hesitation returned too. "Start with something very simple. Like…asking me to give you your pen back," he said, holding out his hand. She placed the utensil in it and opened her mouth.

"C-can you…give me…my pen back…p-please?" her voice was quiet, almost inaudible, and meek like a mouse. Luke studied her closely as she spoke. Her arms were held close across her chest, her eyes down and to the side. Her head was hung so low that it looked like she didn't even have a neck. Plus, she was still curled up in that ball. He sighed.

"If your wings are that thin, you'll never cross this ocean."

Piper frowned and snatched her pen back. 'Jason is the one that can fly.'

"It wasn't literal. Again. Stronger, more confident."

'But what if something goes wrong?'

"Block it from your mind. Percy told you about fatal flaws, did he tell you yours?" Luke asked, to which Piper frowned and shook her head. "It's excessive distrust. I knew another Aphrodite girl named Silena; you might've heard of her," she nodded to that. "She died. I'm not going to say it wasn't my fault; I blackmailed her to spy on camp for me; eventually, it became too much and she left before giving her life to atone for that. Only…that's not the whole story. See, she had every opportunity to play both sides, to play me; she was certainly smart enough, but she didn't. She didn't because she never trusted anyone with her position as a spy. The lies built up until it led her boyfriend to commit suicide, due to his own fatal flaw, actually."

'Can you get to the point?' Piper requested, not feeling entirely comfortable as he described how her step-sister had died because of him.

"Well, the point is that you share her flaw; excessive distrust. I don't know how much you know about hamartia, but they can manifest in many different, multi-faceted ways. My guess for you? You don't trust yourself, or you don't trust your powers, or both."

'That's natural. Jason is like that with his lightning.'

"Not to everyone," he claimed. "And that's an issue I'll get to with him later. Most people would be insanely curious as to the extent of these abilities; gods know I was when Kronos gave me a taste of his power."

'I was, and then I messed up,' she wrote.

"So you mess up once and you never try again?" he raised an eyebrow. Piper quickly raised her pen, but had nothing to write in response. "Try. It's safe with me. I promise, and speaking of flaws, keeping promises is mine. Piper, you can trust me, even if you can't trust yourself."

The daughter of Aphrodite was about to write a retort, sending him away so she could rest, but she didn't. Instead, she met his gaze, this piercing, expectant stare right at her. She set her pen in his hand, and took a deep breath. The lump in her throat formed again, but this time, it was as if Luke's expectancy was literally dissolving it. She spoke. "Give me," she paused, shocked at the confidence in her voice. "Give me my pen back," she ordered. Luke did nothing, and when he grinned, something in Piper's brain clicked. "You aren't affected," she said in awe.

He handed her pen back gently, chuckling. "Glad to know you trust me," he said. "I could definitely feel it; if Kronos wasn't inside me, I'd do it without a second thought."

Piper beamed at him, and shot up to stand. She was so ecstatic that, at least around one person, she could speak to her heart's content, as she became mesmerized by the sound of her own voice. When she realized that she probably looked like an idiot, she tried to regain herself. She wanted to ask him to stay, to order him to stay. Part of her wanted him to refuse, just to drive the point home. "So…um…this might be…weird to ask, but, um…would you mind staying? I, uh…I mean…"

He chuckled. "Of course; I've got nowhere better to be until we get to Fort Sumter."

xxxXXXxxx

"Hey Jason," Annabeth caught him after telling Luke about Piper. "Where's Percy? He was just with you, wasn't he?"

"And where's Luke? Weren't you just talking with him?"

"With Piper in the sick bay," the daughter of Athena put a hand on her hip impatiently. "Percy?"

"What happened to Piper?" Jason questioned, ignoring the woman's question.

"I'd call it food poisoning, but that'd be too easy. She said it was because of her Charmspeak, she could hardly sit up straight. She was stable when I left her, though, and Leo's got a monitor on her up at the helm too. She's safe," she assured, though she said it in a hurried manner with few pauses. "Percy?"

"He's in his cabin, according to Leo."

"You asked Leo where he was?" Annabeth questioned.

"No, he told me; wasn't sure why," he claimed. She raised an eyebrow. "You know, it's that you have to ask me that worries me."

"It should," she said. "You're acting like Reyna did at the beginning. Try not to be too overbearing; it seems to be in your Romans' nature to control the people around you. I'm going to go talk to Percy."

She walked away then, and Jason was left alone, waiting for Luke to return. " _…Well, it's not like I haven't heard that complaint before…"_ he recalled how standoff-ish his friends got when he tried to get Piper to use her powers and to avoid Leo. But now it was alright; he knew he could trust them, because when worse came to worst, they stood alongside him bravely…before he exploded, that is.

Annabeth's heartrate quickened as she approached the cabin of the son of Poseidon. " _Why are you so nervous? Stop shaking, stupid hands!"_ she snapped in her head, wiping them on her jeans. As she came up to the door, she quickly adjusted her beanie and swept her hair out from her face. " _He's just a guy. The guy who…you're in a relationship with that you don't remember. Whose child you have in you right now…"_ Annabeth shook her head; she didn't want to think about that. Not right now, not with so much else to worry about.

She knocked once. "Come in," she heard after a brief moment of silence. He sounded calm, despite the somewhat heated discussion he got into with Jason not a few moments prior. She opened his door as quietly as she could, expecting him to have been trying to get some sleep, but instead, she found him sitting on his bed, his back to the wall, reading a book. He looked up after a second, saw that it was her, and instantly put the book down. "What's up? Are you alright, did you need something?" he asked, jumping to his feet. She didn't know what to say, surprised at his doting of her. Her silence was taken as something bad. "Is…the baby here?"

The suddenness of the question made her laugh, and made both of their faces go red. "No…I wouldn't be _here_ if that were the case."

"R-right, of course…not…" he turned away and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well, come in," he offered as he sat back down on his bed. She followed in suit, sitting a foot or two away from him. The two were quiet for a moment, staring at each other. Both of their cheeks were rosy from the stare the other was giving them, but neither tore away. Annabeth had no idea what Percy was thinking, but a huge part of her wanted to slam the door shut and throw him back onto the bed and have a wonderful night; it'd been dusk at the time.

Unfortunately, that part of her wasn't in charge. The part that _was_ in charge was confused, and a little curious, as to why the other part felt that way, as, to her brain, she'd only known this man for a little over a week. Annabeth decided to test the waters and, for a moment, give into that innate desire for this hero. "…I love you," she said softly, nearing a whisper.

He didn't seem shocked by the words. "To you too," a slight smile formed on his lips. It felt cautious, however. "…Do you remember any more?"

"…No…but I don't have to," she claimed. "To have these feelings."

"…I'm glad," he said. "But also sad. We have so many in-jokes and memories…and that's all gone."

"For now," she reminded him. "And now you're here to fill in the blanks."

"For now," he reminded her. "Did you want to know more about us? About your past?"

She caught herself from saying yes immediately. "…I do, but I want to ask something else first, if that's alright," he nodded. "Why did you choose Jason to lead the quest instead of me?"

He blinked, as if not expecting the question. "Well…a couple reasons, actually. First, you still don't have your memoires. I'm not saying that detracts from you, but Jason's skills and power improved significantly after he regained his, so you, presumably, aren't at 100%. If I knew, for sure, that you were, I'd have picked you in a heartbeat. Another reason, and this is the main one, is that we really need the Romans' trust. We already outnumber Jason four-to-two, or five-to-one if you still count Luke as a Greek, so it'd be natural for them to be intimidated. I think a lot of Greeks don't trust Jason, and I can only hope that Win and Chiron keep everything stable until we get back with this artifact, but…I needed to do everything I could to make sure that happens, you know?"

"…You said that he's the only one both able and willing. Who else was able?"

"Well, me," he said, as if it was obvious. Had Annabeth seen him in action at that point, she would've agreed that it was. "I'm the Titan Slayer, after all."

"Ooh," she smirked, acting impressed. He returned the gesture.

"I beat Polyphemus, the Nemean Lion, Daedalus, Atlas, and Kronos."

"Luke technically killed Kronos by giving up his soul to merge with him, actually," Annabeth corrected.

"Oh, well sorry," he teased. "Didn't realize you were an expert, Miss Amnesiac," They both chuckled. "And anyway, I don't really want to be on this ship right now, if I'm being honest. I'm going as a bodyguard for the crew, basically."

"You said Jason was-"

"The kid's a novice, talented though he may be," he interrupted. "He can't carry the torch of protecting you all."

"Okay, what about Luke?" He's in control of Kronos' power."

"And if he overdoes it, Kronos can take control; he told me his guess. His power is great, but it's unreliable," Percy concluded.

Annabeth considered this. "…So…you didn't come for me?"

"Of course I came for you. I want to protect you."

"Along with the others."

"If I had to choose between you and them, it wouldn't be a hard decision," he assured her. "Annabeth…I have no idea what I'd do without you."

"… _He always needs me,"_ she recalled her own words. " _Always has, always will."_

The thought intimidated her a little. What could she offer to him that warranted that kind of devotion? She debated leaving, still being a little weirded out by his feelings towards her and vice versa, but before she could decide whether or not to do so, the ship lurched. The two caught themselves and then stood. "We stopped," Percy stated. "You think we're here?"

"Hopefully," she said, despite herself. "I'll check the notebook. You go up and see what's up."

The two parted, with Annabeth going straight to her cabin. She opened the book to the next open page, where writing formed before her eyes in perfect Greek.

"To the child of wisdom,

If you're reading this, then I can assume that you've arrived at Fort Sumter. You may choose to read this either before or after your visit, depending on whether you need motivation beforehand or comfort afterward.

If you haven't left yet, however, then I would make a request; go alone. This might sound strange, and it is a matter of pure belief. In my opinion, if these trials aren't completed alone, through your own merits, then the end goal, this artifact, means nothing. If you can't do this alone, then it isn't worth doing. If you still be confident in your skills, which, if you're like me, then you are, then proceed.

I cannot tell you the trial itself, but I can tell you a general strategy for retaining your sanity; take ear plugs and don't look down. That's truly all I can offer you. The coin, once you draw near enough, with glow red; from there, it's a game of hot-and-cold to find the exact location that it leads to.

Remember, this is a trial for children of wisdom. Remember that it will play on all of our innate fears and insecurities. Gods know I didn't return to camp with any dignity to call my own. Thankfully, if you take this trial as just the trial, I would consider this the easiest portion of the Mark's quest. But then, it _isn't_ just the trial, as centuries upon centuries of wear and tear and attempts have moved to block your path.

If you're returning, then you know what I mean. I want you to know that it's alright. The feeling will fade. I would recommend not sleeping with covers for a while; find a nice body or two to sleep next to instead, like a dog, or a partner. And avoid high places as well. That might be good.

But with that, I leave you. But with one more reassurance. I _promise_ that it'll be alright. I promise that you aren't alone, even if you faced the trial by yourself. Hundreds of brothers and sisters have tried, and are cheering you on from the afterlife. And I am too, from wherever I may have ended up. My next message will appear once you enter the Mare Nostrum.

Your fellow child of wisdom"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Here's the second character chapter. Currently down to two chapters until I'm finished with this book, which I have ten days to write. I got this.**

 **So I don't remember if I mentioned this, but I'm going to say it here: these chapters and the idea of splitting action and character was made because of Fire Emblem. For those who don't know, it's game series where you control a medieval army to beat back an evil empire, in almost every game that's what happens. The units within the army, if they fight next to each other or together enough, will gain support levels, and with it, they'll have a support conversation. These, at their best, are some of my favorite character interactions ever, and the idea spawned from wanting to write my own.**

 **So yeah, that's where that came from. Next time, I'm sure a lot of you will question my sanity for what Annabeth has to go through. Until then, why don't you leave me a review?**


	36. It Was Meant To Be Torture

"Is there any sign of Lust's familiars?" Jason asked the helmsman as they landed, just inside the bay which held Fort Sumter. He didn't see any mortals looking their way, so he assumed the Mist was doing its thing.

Leo gave a thumbs-up. "We're all clear here, chief!" he assured.

"I wouldn't count on that for long," Percy said, walking up to them. "If they attacked us specifically by tracking that god, then I'd bet that they're following us."

"Or planning to attack one of the camps," Leo suggested.

Both Percy and Jason turned to him at once. "They'll be fine," they said simultaneously, and after exchanging a brief glance, they returned to the topic at hand.

"So, what's the play, quest leader?" Percy questioned, looking to the son of Jupiter. He crossed his arms.

"Hm…if they're coming, then we probably don't have a whole lot of time…where's Annabeth?"

"Right here," the girl walked up, fishing out her coin. "Inside Fort Sumter, right?" she held it up to the cold sun and waited, hoping to see a red glow. It didn't appear. "Damn, must not be close enough."

"Do you know what you're doing?" the son of Jupiter inquired, sounding like he was really trying not to be disrespectful.

Annabeth nodded. "Tempus gave me some basic instructions to follow. Follow the red glow, bring earplugs, and don't look down."

"And you think the glow will appear inside the fort?"

"If it doesn't then I think we'll all be screwed," she said with a shrug. Jason frowned, not understanding how she can be so lax about all of this. "So, I'll go into the fort."

"I'll go with you," Percy offered.

"No, I'll go alone."

Eyes turned to the daughter of Athena. "That has got to be the stupidest idea I've ever heard," Leo claimed, and the others probably agreed.

"Annabeth, we don't know when Lust will catch up, and we don't know what's waiting for you in there," Jason pointed out.

"And I get that, but…this is something only I can do; this is what I was meant to do."

Jason looked to Percy for support, but he was busy giving her a hard stare. "…You're sure about this?"

"…No," she admitted. "But I feel like this is right. I need to do this."

Percy closed his eyes for a second, and took a deep breath. "Can I at least give you a lift?"

"That'd be mighty kind of you," she offered a smile, even if it wasn't very reassuring.

The two walked into a summoned wave and began moving. Both were quiet. " _You gonna say something, or what?"_ Riptide wondered.

" _What's there_ to _say?"_

" _Maybe 'I really don't think going alone is a good idea'?"_

" _Agreed,"_ Percy returned. "Annabeth, I…"

"You don't think I should go alone," she guess before he could voice the thought. He nodded. "…I get it, but this is my choice to make."

"…"

"You disagree?" she questioned. He didn't answer as they came up to the fort. He gestured her to step back onto solid land. She did so, and turned back to see him drifting away.

"If something goes wrong, go to the water; I'll come for you," he assured.

"Alright."

With that, Annabeth was left to her own devices. She managed to get in without a hitch, as the fort was, for some reason, closed for repairs. Only there weren't any repair guys there, or even construction workers or guys to renovate. It stunk of immortal puppeteering to Annabeth. Nevertheless, she reached into her pocket and took out the coin, seeing the etching of Athena's owl glowing red like fire. It wasn't dark enough to be blood.

The glow faded and strengthened depending on where she was within the fort, making Tempus' "hot-and-cold" analogy apt. Soon, she came to a somewhat secluded room where she didn't find a whole lot of people. The coin grew hot in her hand, and the etchings actually had small flames burning from them, even as Annabeth didn't recalled any substance on it before.

She looked around the room, figuring that this was where it wanted her to go. "Alright, if I were an ancient magical artifact…where would I be leading someone?" she muttered to herself, searching the room. It didn't take her long to notice a glow from the wall. As she drew closer, it got brighter, reacting to the coin. She had to wipe away a veil created by the Mist, revealing a glowing indentation in the wall, shaped exactly like her coin. After looking around one last time to make sure no one was watching, Annabeth placed the coin into the indentation.

Within a few seconds, the glow faded, and the wall beside the indentation receded into itself, before sliding into hidden compartments, revealing a secret passageway. It was dark within, with the light from outside only offering a few meters of sight. The shadows even seemed to creep out into the room.

Annabeth hesitated. " _What are you waiting for?"_ she thought. " _Go in. This is what you wanted."_

But her feet wouldn't move. They didn't move because they knew that going down there would be the death of her. Her brain fought back, as she forced a step. There was something down there, something important for her to find that would lead her to what Tempus found.

A crash was heard, and the structure rumbled. Annabeth could guess what that was. " _Lust already?"_ she guessed, tensing and turning around. " _I need to go back, I need to-"_ she stopped. Another rumble was heard, but Annabeth didn't go toward it to help. Instead, she turned back to the darkness. " _If you don't go down and finish this, then she'll have went for nothing,"_ she told herself, and with that, her first step became a second, and then a third, until she was walking. "Hello darkness, my old friend…" she sang cautiously, trying to ease the wariness in her head. It didn't work.

Soon after she entered the corridor, Annabeth vision went completely black. Even the light from her dagger didn't help much, only providing about a stride's worth of light. The corridor sloped downwards pretty sharply, eventually opening up into a large room which was lit by many torches running in braziers along the walls. On the left were green flames, Greek fire, and on the right was blue, the Roman flower.

Annabeth was told not to look down, but she couldn't help but notice the mass of skeletons on the floor. At least three dozen lay scattered about, either sprawled out on the floor or leaning up against the wall. A few even hung from supports in the ceiling, and Annabeth could only guess how they got up there to die.

She tried to keep her mind away from the dead. " _So they weren't a recent invention,"_ Annabeth noted the blue, ember-less flames, grabbing a torch from its place to use as a light. After thinking about it for a moment, she put it back, and then grabbed a green torch instead. She figured that it was better to be safe, in case whatever test lay ahead needed green light from these Greek flames to open a door or something, to show that the visitors were Greek. It turned out to have no mattered, but she doesn't regret the decision to change either way.

She moved to the center of the room, noting an etching in the floor. It was off her mother's owl, its eyes staring straight up to the ceiling. It was absolutely beautiful, but what caught Annabeth was the writing scratched into it. It looked to be written by many different people. The different messages read: "thieves," and "don't listen to the other guy," and "this was never meant for you," and "the die is cast, and now you pay."

Annabeth found another message, partially written. The person who had been writing it, their skeleton lay in position to finish writing, a few inches away from the trail-off of the scratching; it was probably moved by Tempus' group, when they came through.

It was odd. As Annabeth read the partial message, she thought she could hear scratching coming from far away. At first, she dismissed it as her mind playing tricks on her. The message read: "Nero was ri-" before it cut off.

"Nero was what…? Right? About what? He was a terrible emperor, wasn't he?" she thought aloud. She looked at the coin, finding it unresponsive. Its glow was there to guide her, and the only visible way to leave the room was back the way she came. "Hmm…"

As Annabeth wandered the room, she heard the scratching again. She turned toward it, but saw nothing but a blank wall. Curious, the daughter of Athena tapped on the wall. The sound felt hollow and open. That meant that there wasn't anything on the other side. Just to double-check, she knocked on another random part of the wall, and the sound was flat and ended resoundingly.

She held up the coin to the hollow part of wall, figuring that it was a hidden door. She tried to find another indentation, but saw nothing. She continued searching for a way to open the door, figuring it wouldn't have been broken down easily. Then, after a certain point, writing appeared on the wall. It appeared the same way that Tempus' writing did, starting by glowing gold and then fading into regular writing. It read:

"The owl's eyes meet the stars. So must yours."

Annabeth turned back to the owl etching, along with the various skeletons. She moved to the stand on one of the eyes, and looked up. The ceiling was painted to look like the night sky, which various stars and the moon off to the side. Nothing happened. She moved to the other eye and looked up, and nothing happened, even as she felt the floor move like a pressure plate. Confused, she began stepping all over, feeling for another pressure plate. "Am I still missing a clue…?" she thought, before finding a second one, bigger than the one on the eye.

The two pressure plates were the only ones that Annabeth found, and they were spaced out to the point where it took the entire length of her torso to reach both. So her but could be used to weigh down bigger one, and her head could be used to weigh down the smaller one.

Annabeth hesitated, noting the bones that littered the floor, as if it were some kind of trap. " _Is it testing my patience? Am I supposed to wait longer for another clue, or for the door to open?"_ she wondered, recalling her ADHD, making it difficult to wait at all, let alone for an extended period of time. She shook her head. "I don't have time to wait; they need me out there," she decided, taking her place on the pressure plates.

It took a moment for her weight to register, but when it did, a small crevice in the ceiling opened, revealing a bright silver light above. It shone straight down, meaning it was a focused pillar of light, right onto Annabeth's eye. She heard the scratching grow louder, before a rumble shook the room. It was different from the ones indicating the Argo II battling Lust's familiars. This one was close.

Annabeth looked, from her perspective, up, seeing that a small opening had appeared where the wall was hollow, like a garage door opening, from the bottom. The issue was that it wasn't even close to large enough. Not only that, but no sooner did Annabeth look and see the crack, than did it close back up. " _So, I have to wait for it to fully open…"_ she figured. The scratching returned, much louder this time; much closer. Annabeth sat up and looked where it was coming from. She immediately leapt to her feet when she saw it. "S-s-spider!" she cried instinctually, as if there was someone else there who could kill it. There wasn't just one either, but rather a few dozen huge glassy bodies crawling on the floor, moving toward her. " _Where did they…?"_

It hit her. She looked back toward the closed door, where the scratching was loudest. The realization hit her like a truck, almost as hard as the disconnect in her brain as to why she was so freaked out by the spiders. Annabeth took a deep breath.

"Okay, no big deal. You've got this," she told herself, but even as she did, a feeling of dread came over her. Still, she lay back down. She wanted to close her eyes, but she didn't hear the door begin to open when she did so; it relied on her making eye contact with the silver light.

As soon as the rumbling of the door was heard, so too was the scratching. Within two or three seconds, the spiders made it to her. She nearly leapt out of her skin when she felt them crawling on her arms and neck, but she forced herself to stay still.

Her mind went blank as soon as they started crawling on her legs; her whole body was now tainted by them. She tried to keep her mouthed closed, but all she wanted to do was scream. Her body was disturbingly still; her fear overrode her brain's command to move and run from the spiders. Annabeth let out a scream when she felt one or two crawl up her shirt.

The scream attracted the rest. Soon, you'd be hard pressed to find an inch of skin visible for more than a millisecond at a time. Her screams continued, and they soon made their way into her mouth, crawling on her gums and cheeks and tongue. She didn't taste them. She never once closed her mouth after that, for fear of her chewing them and eating them. Her brain was so clogged with fear that she couldn't tell if they were crawling up her nose or crawling down her throat to block off her breath, or both. Either way, she soon started choking.

Annabeth couldn't cough; it always caught. She wanted to throw up an innumerable amount of times to get it all out of her system. She wanted to run away, but she couldn't. Her body stayed still, her brain shut off, and all she was left with was the fear, the agony, the sensation of a thousand tiny legs flitting across her skin, learning it, knowing it better than she did. She was so brain-dead that she couldn't even ask herself whether it might've been enough time for the door to open by now.

She just lay there. She just…lay there, screaming.

It was meant to be torture.

Annabeth wasn't sure if she blacked out or if it was all a hallucination. The only thing she knew was that, at some point, she was clean, free from arachnids. She lay staring straight up at the ceiling, on those same pressure plates. Her mouth was hanging open, her eyes glazed over like she was dead. The light had shut off, leaving her with the fake stars. She had no clue how long she'd been laying there, but she figured it must've been at least thirty years. At least, that's what it felt like.

Slowly, methodically, Annabeth rolled over and pushed up onto her hands and knees, and then to just her knees. She licked her lips, felt herself all over. She felt nothing and more surprisingly, tasted nothing. She expected spider blood, not believing she'd made it through without crushing some in her mouth. Instead, her mouth and lips tasted like they did in the morning after a long sleep; a bit gummy, kind of plain. She pushed herself to her feet. The ground was rough and cold on one of her feet, and Annabeth noted that she'd lost a shoe; she'd been kicking, thrashing, and she didn't ever notice. That was why she also found bruises on the backs of her arms and her heels and elbows; she'd bashed them on the ground over and over. The shoe was nowhere to be found, which meant it either was taken or devoured by the spiders.

Annabeth looked to her right, seeing the door now wide open, revealing another dark hallway. She might've found it funny. She might've, if her mind wasn't still blank from fear. One step at a time, she trudged through the empty hall, one foot bare. One of her arms hung limp at her side; it'd been bruised more, and the bone might've cracked from the pain she felt. The other hand was holding the arm, trying to offer something. She didn't try and feel her way through.

" _If this place wants me dead, then so be it,"_ she thought numbly, even as she told herself to start caring again. Somehow, she just couldn't find the will to do so. Then she saw another light, and then she came to a cliff.

It looked like a massive chasm, stretching thirty meters across. The daughter of Athena looked around, checking the wall on either side and finding nothing. She looked for an owl, but saw nothing. She looked for _something_ , but was disappointed. She wondered if a bridge that led to the path on the other side, which she couldn't even see from the lighting, might've collapsed, perhaps just after Tempus' party had come.

Annabeth was considering just jumping off. What's the worst that could happen, that she could die? Yeah, and be sent to Elysium for the deeds she did back when she could remember her tenth birthday and wasn't a worthless piece of trash who probably killed all of her friends by laying around too long after the spiders.

It was meant to be torture.

Annabeth raised her barefoot forward, about to take the fatal plunge, when golden writing appeared on the wall. It read: "An owl cannot learn to fly without falling first. Face that, or face a worse death."

No sooner did the sound of magic writing fade than did the scratching of the spiders return. It came from where Annabeth came from, and it was getting very loud very fast. Instinct drove Annabeth's decision at that moment. She didn't wait to see the little bastards. She leapt as far out as she could, for fear of another round of spiders. Tears streamed from her face as she fell, only now remembering that she wasn't a real owl, and she couldn't fly across.

She fell, flailing for a moment. She plunged into the deepest darkness that she could fathom, and then it was all illuminated by a massive beam of light, a massive sun, right up against her. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, but when they did, she saw the ground. She was still falling, and was a ways away from the impact.

But she was falling out of the sky.

The sun glowed behind her, and she fell through misty clouds and through flocks of birds which she nearly collided with. She tumbled through the air, half-confused, half-scared out of her mind. Her mind jump-started for a few seconds as she had only about ten of them until impact. She wondered how many corpses she would see on the ground. That was her only thought as it quickly came into view. She saw six. She could name their names; Reyna, Luke, Leo, Piper, Jason…Percy.

She didn't even bother to brace herself for the impact, just let her body collide with the ground. Pain seared through every part of her body, but she didn't die nor even lose consciousness. Instead, she opened her eyes, and everything was dark again.

Her body, though physically uninjured from what was obviously a hallucination of falling, hadn't caught up with her brain, which was sending all kinds of distress signals through her nervous system. She curled up into a ball on the ground, almost going into shock from the mental jerk of her vision. Annabeth couldn't breathe until her brain caught up, which took far too long for her liking.

It took a few moments to recover, and when she did, she realized that she never wanted to feel that sense of helplessness ever again; to see her death before her was not on Annabeth's to-do list. She sat up, still nearly choking from the shock, and looked around. She was in a small, dark room, though not dark enough to where she couldn't see a bit; like a bedroom with a night-light. She drew her dagger, to serve as an even better night-light, though part of her also drew it as protection. Protection from what? She didn't have the faintest idea, except that she felt distinctly vulnerable where she was, in the fetal-position on the ground, limbs bruised and maybe cracked, senses still reeling from a hallucination, and with very little access to oxygen.

The light from her Celestial Bronze dagger was enough to reveal the bones, along with one still-decaying corpse, probably twenty years old, age of death…hard to tell, maybe fifteen at best. She gagged thinking of anyone else going through the two experiences that she just went through, numbly remembering that Tempus did so as well. It didn't register until now, that this was still the _first_ trial. She didn't know how many more there were, hopefully just one more, but then, she'd also have to _get_ there, which would be an ordeal in and of itself.

Once she felt somewhat able, Annabeth stood. Almost as soon as she did, more golden writing appeared. It read: "We always fall last. We force them all to jump first, seeing them fall, and then foolishly still believe we can fly. Thus is humanity. Thus are our brothers and sisters of wisdom."

Once the writing finished, a door opened to another small room. This one was lit like the spider room, half Greek fire, half Roman flower. There was a pedestal in the center with a piece of parchment. It read:

"You've done well, child of wisdom. Thus ends the first trial; you have but one more to retrieve the lost totem. You must proceed through the Ancient Lands; go to the seat of barbarism; Rome. There, you will continue to follow the Mark, until death or victory."

Annabeth barely registered the words. She didn't try to take the paper either; with her luck it would've resulted in some Indiana Jones-style trap escape sequence with a big rolling stone sphere. Another door opened after a moment, with a staircase leading up. She took them, with the journey feeling like it was taking an eternity. Finally, she saw daylight, real daylight she hoped, and she came back up into Fort Sumter. She saw it on fire.

xxxXXXxxx

The heat was almost a shock in and of itself, given the piercing cold she'd been used to for the past six months. Still, that wasn't to say it was a pleasant warmth, but instead a choking one, because Annabeth hadn't had enough of that today.

Almost as soon as she got out into open air did some of Lust's familiars zero in on her and charged. Annabeth didn't even run, still in the brain-dead mindset, not even having enough energy to get her bearings. She knew that she _should_ run, that she _should_ try to fight back, but a big part of her figured that whatever they could do to her wasn't as bad as what she'd just gone through.

It wasn't until they exploded into a pile of dust via a massive blast of water did she come to her senses. Percy landed in front of her, taking her hand. His eyes full of worry, his form tense. "Are you okay?" was his first question; gods bless him, he cared so much. He looked around and parried another couple of familiars' blows before kicking them away. He grabbed her hand. "We need to go."

The two started running. In the distance, at the edge of the fort's island, sat the Argo II, main engine roaring in anticipation. She saw dozens of familiars storming the place, maybe a hundred. Jason flew around the ship, slashing and blasting them away as best he could, though many still got through. Piper and Luke were going to town. Luke had far superior skill, and knew how to use Piper's own to the fullest effect, and the two had a kind of rhythm going to where Piper would kill an enemy, and Luke would throw an enemy into her next swing, as he wasn't using a weapon of his own. Leo was doing his best to stoke the fires on the airship, trying desperately to put them out; he was actually pretty successful, adding it to his own flames using them, and chucking fire bombs off the side at the approaching enemies.

Soon, Percy decided that they were moving too slowly, and they were, so he just up and hoisted Annabeth into his arms and ran, expertly weaving through any attacks that came their way.

Jason saw them coming. "Leo! Start it up!" he yelled over the chaos, and the smaller boy scrambled up to the controls. The engines roared to life, they'd been on standby before, as the airship started gently floating, ready to blast off. Percy jumped onto the wall of the fort, and then shot them up into the air using his water, aiming for the deck of the ship.

Unfortunately, something crashed into them. Percy was sent careening back into the fort, unharmed from his landing, but now surrounded on all sides by the enemy, including Lust, said object that crashed into him. Annabeth, meanwhile, was sent flying off into the ocean. She attempted to slow her fall, but it didn't help much. Luckily, Jason saw the crash and dove to catch her, getting to her right before she hit the water. Her heart nearly stopped from the reinvigorated shock of falling, and went quiet, clutching for dear life onto Jason, even after he set her down on the deck of the ship.

"P-Percy…" she stuttered, almost inaudibly over the chaos. Jason looked back to the fort, seeing him up against the entirety of Lust's army. A powerful feeling came over him, a dangerous feeling.

" _I should just leave him to fight,"_ Jason thought, for a terrifying moment. " _It'd be just like a Greek to die because he ran off on his own."_

"We need to get to him somehow," Luke said, in a strong, commanding voice. It shook Jason out of his thoughts and back to his senses.

"Hey, nu-uh, you can do that, but my baby isn't going anywhere near that death camp with the side exposed," Leo claimed, pointing out a few control cannon controls to Grover so he could do something now that the deck was clear. Piper had picked off the last straggler or two, kicking them over the edge.

"We'll be torn apart if we try and get close," Jason agreed. "Even with our artillery."

"Who said we need to shoot at them? Let's ram right through them and take off! Real hero-like!" Leo suggested as a massive Celestial Bronze ram began protruding from the bow, right below Festus' head. "Permission to charge?"

"Wait," Jason held up his hand, examining the faraway battle.

The Titan Slayer blasted a massive hole into the enemy line and charged, his blade arcing through anyone or anything unlucky enough to be caught in its path. Lust followed suit, leaping when Percy did to escape. The Giant caught him, and the two tumbled out of the sky.

They landed on the water, yes, _on_ the water. Lust attempted a quick kill, but Percy wouldn't allow that. This Giant didn't seem to display the same overwhelming speed and strength that Wrath had, Jason bet. "Come on, you bastard!" Percy challenged. "Give me everything you've got!"

"Impudent…" Lust growled, charging forward.

"Now!" Jason yelled. Percy sensed the ship crash down to the waves. He smirked at the Giant and slipped under the water right as the Argo II barreled through, smashing the ram straight into Lust's face, sending him flying back into the fort.

Archers had mounted on the walls, and were quickly targeting the demigods and the main thrusters. Their view, however, was soon blocked, by a massive tidal wave which rose out of the ocean. Percy rose with it, his veins visible all over as he strained from the pressure. The wave reached about thirty meters in height before the son of Poseidon's control broke, and the wave was sent crashing into the fort, drowning all of Lust's familiars. Lust took the tsunami like it was nothing. He was actually laughing.

"Go ahead, Titan Slayer! Slay as many of my minions as you wish, but for every one you destroy, I'll make three more!" he roared, as another army materialized itself. Instead of fight them, however, Percy turned around and strained his powers again. He split the ocean to the east, creating a wide enough crevice for the Argo II to slip into. "Follow me!" he called, before diving beneath the waves. Leo punched it and shot into the crevice as archers shot their arrows. The water crashed back into place behind the airship, the water stopping the arrows in their tracks.

Lust's anger was extraordinary. If he had a Divine Form, he would've gone into it in rage, but he didn't. Instead, he tore that godforsaken fort to pieces before reporting back to Pride. He'd failed.

For now, the Argo II crew was safe, and they had a new destination to go to.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Uh...yeah. That happened.**

 **Sorry for the late upload; me and my friend were bingeing the first season of The Legend of Korra. I wanted him to watch it, and it was a blast, especially with his reactions as first time viewer lol**

 **Oh, and I'm sorry for how I first uploaded this; so full of typos and mistakes. I'll try much harder not to repeat that embarrassment.**

 **Anyway, thanks so much for reading. J, I'm sorry I'm costing you sleep when you have work tomorrow (not really sorry lol), and I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	37. Silver Tongue And Jaded Cynicism

It took a good couple of hours for the crew to fully comprehend that the danger had passed. The fighting had been intense enough to where the alertness and adrenaline that came with it lingered. Within a few minutes of them submerging, after they'd made the shore become the horizon, they emerged back above the surface. Festus' head spat up a large amount of salt water, and Percy came back aboard looking like he just ran a marathon. Sweat drenched his forehead, his eyes bloodshot and his image, surprisingly, unrefined.

Jason looked around at the crew. All things considered, they got off light. One of Piper's arms was pretty badly cut up, but Grover was already working on it. Leo took a nasty hit in the back, but it would only cause a big bruise at worst. Grover and Luke seemed to get off fine, and all Jason felt was fatigue. He'd gone nonstop flying for over three hours once the fighting started, along with exerting his aerokinetic abilities, it left him drained. He saw Percy all but collapse against the railing, dropping to sit, wheezing. Jason had never seen him so tired.

Instantly, the son of Jupiter felt a pang of guilt; he'd hesitated in going to help him, being bogged down by his irrational hostility toward the Greek. Still, an apology would have to wait until later. He turned to Annabeth, who was similarly sitting leaning against the side of the ship, arms wrapped around knees which were brought up to her chest. "Where are we heading?" he asked. She didn't respond, just stared straight ahead. "Annabeth," he said, snapping his fingers in front of her, using his powers to make absolutely sure that she heard it. She started, and then looked up at him. "Where are we going?"

"…Rome," she said curtly. Jason nodded, and looked to Leo.

"You get that?" he asked. The boy gave him a thumbs up, stretching after Grover used his nature magic to ease the probable ache in his back.

"ETA, like…four days?" he guessed. "We're slower than a plane, but _way_ faster than a normal ship. We'd make it there faster, but it'd burn through fuel a lot quicker."

The quest leader nodded, and gave Annabeth a weary look before going to see about Piper's injury. The daughter of Athena had gone back to staring straight ahead.

Percy took notice of the behavior. He'd seen it before, in a person right on the brink of insanity. He wanted to just sit down for a while, but he forced his feet under him to shuffle over to her. He sat next to her, shoulder to shoulder. She didn't seem to notice his touch.

"…Don't keep it all in," he warned, his voice quiet. It, unlike Jason's, was heard immediately.

"…You wouldn't get it," was her answer.

"Try me."

"…It…it…"

"Broke you?" Percy guessed. The woman nodded. "You can't break what was already broken," he noted.

The slightest hint of a smile crept onto her lips. Percy didn't know whether it was from humor or relief, but either way it made him hopeful, and either way, it faded quickly. She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again, deciding against it.

He took her hand comfortingly. "…You wanna talk about it?"

"…" she didn't answer in words, not at first. She only curled her fingers into his, and brought them up to her chest.

Percy's gaze moved to the ocean. "We made a promise, you know. That we wouldn't keep secrets from each other."

"…"

"We didn't keep that promise, because we were stupid teenagers who never kept promises," he recalled the summer after Atlas. "But we've been going pretty strong with it after a slight, uh…mishap," he shook her hand a bit. "I'd like to keep it, even if you don't remember."

"…So do I, but…not now," she said, more like begged actually. She looked at him with her beautiful silver eyes, pleading for him to drop the subject for now. He nodded, and kissed her.

"…Alright. If you _ever_ need to talk about it, please don't hesitate."

"I won't," she claimed.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

After a couple of minutes of talking, Percy convinced Annabeth go get what sleep she could, figuring it wouldn't be much. Percy figured her should check up on everyone. Luke was fine; Percy knew he didn't need to worry about the Titan Lord's host.

That left Jason and Piper, who were together, along with Grover. Jason had wrapped up her arm, while Grover was busy with his nature magic, easing the pain. "Hey, princess," he walked over. "You still good to fight?"

She scoffed at the nickname, but nodded. She took out her pen. 'I'm as ready as ever,' she claimed.

"Don't push it," Percy warned, trying to temper her sense of confidence, to keep it from turning to arrogance; he knew where it got a fighter, rubbing his neck as he thought about it. "And how are you two holding up?" he asked the guys.

"I'm good, man," Grover answered.

"Tired, but that's to be expected," Jason agreed. Percy nodded, and left toward Leo. Jason frowned. "He doesn't need to check up on everyone; I already-"

Piper lightly slapped his arm so he'd look at her sign language. 'He's still in 'leader' mode, from back at camp,' she figured. Jason returned the gestures.

'He should be focused on recovering his strength,' the son of Jupiter returned. Grover looked between them, looking to try and decipher the code, so to speak.

"Did I miss the memo?" he wondered. Piper giggled, and Jason scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry; it's habit to return it at this point," he said. "Just thinking is all."

"Whatever, man," Grover stood, trying to stay positive. "I'ma go see about Annabeth. You gotta take it easy, the both of you," he nodded to them, and then took his leave.

'Yeah, you should,' Piper agreed, smirking. 'You've been working yourself too hard. You weren't like this on our quest.'

'No, I was just getting up in everyone's business,' Jason recalled their disdain for that part of him. Piper grimaced at the gestured comment, but shook her head and offered a smile nonetheless.

'I'm here for you,' she reminded him, putting a hand on the bandana he wore on his arm. 'Always.'

'I know. Thank you.'

"Velaira to you too," she said back, her voice full of warmth and comfort. Jason smiled, and stood.

xxxXXXxxx

"Alright, get some sleep, Leo," Jason said as he walked out onto the deck. The smaller boy yawned and waved goodnight without saying anything; he'd been at the helm for over 36 hours by then, and had only an hour of break before that, from which he used to eat after the escape from Fort Sumter.

They'd been over the ocean for two days, that meant. Two more days of travel meant that they'd be in Rome, with any luck. One more day until they get back onto land.

Truth be told, they didn't need a night watch. Festus and his scanners would warn them if anything remotely monster-shaped came within a hundred meters of the Argo II, but Jason's brain wouldn't let him sleep if nobody was out here. For the two nights they'd been over open ocean, he'd taken that shift, which meant he got roughly three hours of sleep, since Percy woke up, generally, around four, and Jason's alarm, or rather the one Leo had built into their rooms, went off at seven.

Piper usually slept for another two hours after that, popping in earbuds to drown out the alarm. Luke, Leo, and Grover got up as scheduled, as did Jason despite how little rest he received, and they went about their daily routines. The mess hall automatically prepared cooked food, using some of Hephaestus' own magic devices to basically read the eater's thoughts to serve what they wanted. Percy wasn't usually at breakfast, claiming he was taking morning watch. When he was around, blue food came out for him. He stared at it for a few moments, and then pushed it away, not eating any of it. Luke or Annabeth usually offered some of their food instead.

Speaking of the latter…

Jason sighed upon seeing the sitting figure. "We've talked about this," he said to the daughter of Athena. "You need sleep."

She stared up at him blankly. She was holding Tempus' notebook, open to one of the earlier pages. "She thought you liked her, at one point or another," she mentioned of Tempus.

"Tammy was like a sister; attractive or not, hormones or not," he put a hand on his hip. "And you need sleep."

"Shut up," she said quietly, burying her face into the book. "It's not that easy."

"You're exhausted; just go to your bed and-"

"The covers feel like spiders," she interrupted. "The way it is against my skin. I can't _stand_ it!"

Jason blinked. "…Does this have to do with Fort Sumter?"

"No, I've just always had a phobia of sheets," she lowered her eyes. Jason raised an eyebrow.

He sighed again. "A few days ago, you'd barely speak. At least now you have your wit back; how I've missed the silver tongue of a Greek."

"Better than the jaded cynicism of an Aduro," she snapped back. The two glared at each other; the two candidates for quest leader. One was nearly broken, the other stood over her.

"It's _Roman_ ," he warned, the wind picking up around him. She didn't seem frightened by the display or the warning, despite her obvious lack of strength, and thus her form didn't tense; she wasn't preparing for a fight. It was like she knew she'd lose, but figured he couldn't do anything of note to her.

Jason was seriously considering just throwing her overboard, sending her flying a mile or two away, to plummet several hundred feet down into the ocean below, where she'd hopefully drown. Thankfully, he caught himself.

His form relaxed, and he took several deep breaths. "…I hope whatever you find in Rome is worth it," he said finally. "Because constantly thinking of killing you is getting really old."

Annabeth wasn't so aware. "Maybe it's because Greeks aren't so barbarous, but I don't have that urge."

"Maybe not consciously," he argued. "And besides, don't forget that Greece split apart into civil war, where the barbarous Spartans won out."

"Why should I have to defend my ancestors? And besides," he narrowed her eyes. "Rome had a habit of butchering its emperors."

"Most of them were tyrants, just like Sparta. Only we didn't allow them to win in the end," The two had come to another standstill. This time, in a battle of the mind and of the world, both of them tensed. "…We both need sleep, it seems. Apologies, I usually don't let myself partake in things like petty squabbles," he said trying to soften. Annabeth, finally, seemed to do the same.

"…It's a bad habit of mine," she admitted. "I get…territorial…"

"I've noticed. But, we all have our faults. I get too personal with people, apparently."

"Apparently?"

"I…also have some difficulty admitting faults…" he turned away, embarrassed. Annabeth giggled a bit, and stood. "Please, I don't mean this in harm, but I _really_ think you should get some rest, at least to try. If we want that artifact, we'll need everyone on their toes."

She nodded. "…Alright, I'll try. But you should, too. Let someone else take night watch, if there has to be one."

Jason shrugged. "Consider it considered."

She lightly smiled, and then entered the main of the ship, leaving Jason alone. Her lips curled back down quickly, as the prospect of feeling something crawling against her skin absolutely terrifying her in a way that she didn't think was possible. It was this primal fear, beyond all logic and even any emotion. It _was_ fear.

She recalled Tempus' advice. "Find a nice body or two to sleep next to instead, like a dog, or a partner. And avoid high places as well."

The daughter of Athena tried to cope without following it. She found that she couldn't when it came to the sheets, and if she couldn't with that, she figured she'd try to with a newfound fear of heights, by being out against the railing while they were flying high up. She couldn't do that either; she'd nearly thrown up, so she crouched down to where she couldn't see over the edge, and buried herself into the notebook to try and stop thinking about it. Then Jason came, of course.

" _Find a nice body…"_

Percy was a pretty heavy sleeper, which is why he found it surprising when he woke up to the sound of his door opening. Granted, he didn't wake up much; just enough to be annoyed. He grumbled irritably at the creaking of the door.

"Um, can I come in?" he heard a small voice outside. He was too tired to recognize it, and all he heard was 'come in'. He grumbled again, muttering something close to 'fine', and then heard muffled footsteps approach his bed.

Nothing happened then. Confused, partly thinking he was dreaming, Percy rolled over to see blonde locks shimmering in the moonlight from the open window. Percy blinked tiredness from his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Annabeth smiled sheepishly.

"I was told to find a body," she said. The Titan Slayer, in his half-asleep state, still thought he might be dreaming, and that she might draw her knife to make him a body, as in a corpse. Instead, she shuffled on her feet. "Can I, um…sleep with you tonight?"

Percy nodded sluggishly and lazily moved as far as he could to the wall. It was only a twin bed, so there wasn't much room. She shuffled in, shivering when he brought the covers over her. She felt a chill run down her spine, and her heartrate pick up. At first, she couldn't tell if it was because she felt the covers, or because she was embarrassed. The latter was confirmed when she felt heat rush to her cheeks as he pulled her closer.

She hardly felt the sheets, instead mostly feeling Percy's body; he slept shirtless. His head was near the end of the bed at the top of the pillow, while Annabeth's was at the bottom of the pillow, eyes roughly at his Adam's apple.

Within a few minutes, he was fully asleep again, not thinking anything of having her in bed with him. " _Were we so close?"_ she wondered, and then immediately thinking that it was a stupid question, given how she was pregnant with their child. " _Does it always feel like this, with the heat and embarrassment? Or is that because of my amnesia?"_ were more apposite questions.

Eventually, Annabeth's own drowsiness and fatigue took over, and she stopped asking herself questions that she didn't know the answer to. Instead, she snuggled even closer to Percy, burying her face into his chest, feeling its warmth, and then slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

xxxXXXxxx

Percy saw the light again as he awoke. It called to him, and yet, this time, he felt something weigh him down, hold him back from grasping toward it. Overhead, as he awoke, the light was off and thus the longing for it quickly dissipated from the dream.

He didn't remember waking up half-asleep the previous night. Instead, he woke up with a warm body next to his. He'd be lying if he said he never sleep-walked before, sometimes into the wrong cabin, where he'd try and force himself onto someone, not even necessarily a woman, thinking it was Annabeth from his dream. He was particularly afraid that it might've been like that. The best case would've been Luke, as he'd probably understand. Worst case would either be Jason or Piper. Piper, because that'd just be really weird for the both of them, and Jason because…because fuck Jason. Not literally.

Hypothetical aside, Percy was relieved to smell Annabeth's familiar scent; of forget-me-nots. She saw her sleeping against him, having crawled in next to him. She told him the previous day that she had trouble sleeping, but looking at her now, it was difficult to believe.

" _It's because she's with you, dumbass,"_ Riptide claimed.

" _I wasn't planning on assuming,"_ Percy returned. He tried to shift to ease her into the bed so he could get up, but she wasn't having any of it. Instead, she wrapped her arms more tightly around him. He let out a light sigh; she did this sometimes after a particularly tough day or night. And while it was super adorable, it was also a pain in the ass when he couldn't get up and move around; he didn't do well when he was just sitting around somewhere.

He instead settled on a more comfortable position. He looked around, seeing his book and his flashlight on the nightstand. He slowly reached for them both, but his arms weren't nearly long enough. He'd need a jerk of the wrist and body to produce enough water to whip it toward him, and then it might wake Annabeth up, if the jerking didn't before that, so that was out.

He tried reaching again, taking it one step at a time. Unfortunately, he reached just a bit too far, upon finally being able to touch it. He yelped as he fell off the bed, dragging Annabeth along with him. She let out a cry of surprise as she jolted awake from the slight fall, and then to see Percy over her, looking like he was about to take advantage.

Her face went red, but she said nothing. "I, uh…s-sorry," the son of Poseidon pushed himself up to his knees. "I kind of fell," he turned away, his own face going red.

Annabeth's lip quivered as she tried holding in a laugh and a squeal of exasperation at the same time, but she just sat up and tried to remember what'd happened the previous night. It quickly came back to her. "Thank you," she said bashfully. "For letting me stay with you."

"Mm," Percy shrugged as he stood, not thinking much of it. He reached up, stretching, before touching his toes, and then bending backward to do a bridge. "Man, but I am _sore_ …" he complained. "Even after a couple days…hasn't happened in a while."

"So you don't call tidal waves on a regular basis?"

He chuckled. "No, can't say that I do," he claimed. The two were quiet for a moment, with Percy lowering himself to lay on the floor, and Annabeth sitting, leaning against the bed. "…You want to talk about it?" Percy asked finally. The daughter of Athena tensed, her form unnaturally still to the point where he wasn't sure if she was breathing. "You don't have to, but if you're curious, I think it'd be the right thing to do."

She nodded, taking several deep breaths, her stillness replaced by restlessness as she fidgeted with her clothes. To her, even their texture was beginning to feel like the spiders. "…Tempus warned me," she said. "She said that it what I was going to find wasn't supposed to be a puzzle, but it was supposed to be torture."

"And? Was it?"

She nodded. "I was forced to lay on the ground. Hundreds of millions of…s…sp…sp-spiders…" her stomach turned as she said it. "They crawled all over me, up my shirt, all over my legs and arms and face…into my mouth…" another twist of the stomach. "…Was I always so scared of them?"

"Yeah, you were," he relayed. "On our first quest, we ran into one of Hephaestus' traps meant for Ares and Aphrodite. He had mechanical spiders swarm you on a water park ride, I think. You froze up completely."

She nodded, though she didn't remember. She wished she could; having such an irrational fear wasn't in her best interest. "After that, it had me fall, or be attacked by spiders again. It was a hallucination, I think. When I 'landed', it was like I hit the ground without feeling the painful part of it. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. I was…helpless…" she shook her head, feeling tears well up and drip down her face from the memory. "But…everything worked out…we got away…we have a goal…right?"

Percy didn't answer with words, just brought her into a hug. She eased into it, welcoming his warmth. "Everything will be fine," he assured. "I'm here for you, always."

xxxXXXxxx

Jason noticed clouds forming to the east in the early morning, but wasn't expecting them to come so quickly after that. The rain didn't bother him; it was life and energy from his father, but he couldn't say the same for the others. Percy said that he didn't 'trust' the rain, after he'd used it forcibly on a few occasions and expected Jason's father to use it against him in some way. Granted, when it came to gods, he probably had good reason, given that the immortals basically see what element they control as their property in a way. The others, similarly, didn't want to stay out.

Thankfully, Leo installed basic steering in the mess hall for this very reason. He especially didn't like the rain; it was much more difficult for him to start a fire with it after all. Jason was flipping his coin up and down, restless. Despite his lack of sleep, he couldn't help but be a bit twitchy. Something bad was coming in Rome; he could feel it. He closed his eyes, catching his Regalius as he did, and took a deep, calming breath. " _Focus on getting there first,"_ he reminded himself, figuring they'd reach the Mediterranean sometime close to the end of the day.

He continued flipping the coin in the air anyway. Soon, someone caught it; Luke. He was smirking. "Feeling lucky?" he wondered, opening his palm to show that it was heads. Jason tensed.

"Give. That. Back," he ordered, voice icy cold. Luke didn't seem deterred by the tone, and casually tossed him the coin. "No one holds this but me. Period."

"Ooh, touchy," Jason didn't dignify that with a response. Luke grabbed a goblet and set it down, with it magically filling with a soda. "Oh man, I missed these. I got a lot from the Titans, but they couldn't replicate this kind of magic."

"The useless kind?"

"Exactly," he said, taking a swig and then smacking his lips. "So, you look like you've got a lot on your mind."

Jason wanted to say, "Of course I do," but he refrained. He shook his head. "No, just…bad feelings."

"If demigods get those, they're usually right."

"Then it doesn't bode well for us…"

"Everything will work out," Luke claimed.

"How can you be so sure?"

"How can you _not_ be sure, if you're supposed to lead us?"

The son of Jupiter sighed. "I mean, I've _tried_ to be confident, tried to push everyone to do this, but…I just don't know. I want to believe we can beat them, that we can really beat the Giants, you know? I just…don't see how yet."

Luke shrugged. "Eh, they're tough, sure. But so are we. Let me tell you something; the Titans were _way_ stronger than the Olympians could've predicted, and they still won. Now, they're expecting it. They have an advantage."

"That's not what I'd call an advantage," he said, and the subject kind of fizzled out after that. Jason had a whole lot of other things to say, but he didn't have the words to say them. It was as if all of his thoughts had melded together into a big ball of anxiety and doubt. There wasn't a word in the English language to describe that feeling. Instead, he focused on something he saw.

Percy and Annabeth walked into the room for lunch. They'd mostly stayed in their rooms, but Jason would bet they came out at the same time, likely an internal clock within them both to eat at a certain time. Or maybe he was reading too much into it.

Either way, they sat down together, Annabeth holding Tempus' notebook in one hand, and started eating. They talked with hushed voices as they both stared at Tempus' writing. The mess hall was big enough to where it was difficult to hear someone from the other end, where they were.

Luke noticed Jason's staring, figuring it to be jealousy or longing. "You miss her?" he wondered. "The praetor?"

Jason scoffed. "Of course I do," he said.

"…Have you Iris-Messaged her yet?"

"No. I doubt it'd go through anyway. Iris doesn't like Romans like us, according to Annabeth."

"Well, she _did_ make it so Reyna couldn't even see her when we were summoned. But hey, it's the thought that counts; maybe you should try anyway."

Jason nodded. Despite himself, he found that he enjoyed having Luke around. The man seemed amiable enough, not bothered talking with anybody, and willing to help whenever he was needed. Jason would have liked to have said that about everybody on the Argo II, but that simply wasn't the case. "…What do you think of her?"

"Hm?"

"Of Reyna? What was your impression?"

"Why?"

"Because…" Jason sighed. "Because she's what a Roman should be. I was wondering how that came off to you."

Luke considered the question for a moment, crossing his arms and closing his arms to think. "…She's difficult to work with, on account of her superior attitude. It was pretty obvious that she was just barely holding things together without you and Tempus and is pretty weak-willed by nature."

"O-oh…" Jason looked away. " _I don't know what I was expecting from a Greek…"_

"But…how to put this…? It was clear from the start that she deeply, deeply cares about the Legion, and, I think, would _gladly_ give her life to protect it. She acts completely on instinct in the most crucial of moments. While that causes problems for us sometimes, there is a certain comfort in being able to predict what she'll do, and a definite comfort in knowing that she acts so sure of herself."

Jason blinked, not expecting that kind of response. "…"

"So…what do _you_ think of her?"

"…She's the bravest person I've ever met, and the most reliable person I know," he relayed, trying to be short with his explanation for fear of rambling, as he did when he described her to Piper. "I feel like she can do anything and everything she puts her mind to. She's incredible; perfect."

"Good. That's what her boyfriend is supposed to say," the older man said with a smirk. "But alas, you're wrong, at least in part," Jason raised an eyebrow. "She can't do anything and everything…at least not alone."

Jason turned away. "She doesn't need me," he claimed. "Why would she need someone who can't even control their own powers?"

"Maybe because she doesn't like you for your powers."

"Still…"

"…Alright, if you're gonna be so mopey about it, then I'm going to have to help you out."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I'm a teacher, Jason," he claimed. "Taught Percy how to fight, helped your sister figure out her powers. I'm sure I could kick your ass into shape."

"…"

"What? Not biting?"

"…All due respect…but no. I don't have the time. I have to lead this group to get that artifact back to camp. Maybe…maybe after that, though."

Luke frowned. "…You know, Percy never stopped training as he was fighting the Titans. You think you shouldn't even try when we're going up against the Giants?"

"That's even more reason to postpone. Maybe he would've been more successful if he'd been more focused on outplaying you. I'm not going to be like Percy."

With that, Jason stood, and walked away, leaving Luke to wonder just how deep their distrust, borderline hatred, toward each other went.

Meanwhile, Percy and Annabeth continued leaning into Tempus' notebook, watching intently as the words formed through golden etching; the next message was here.

"To the child of wisdom,

If you're reading this, then I can assume you're nearing the Mare Nostrum. Assuming you're alone, I'll tell you once again that you aren't. I experienced the same thing that you did, and while I am sympathetic and which I could offer you comfort, alas, I must urge you to press on to further danger.

With that said, the Mare Nostrum, or Our Sea, a Roman term for the Mediterranean, was the most dangerous portion of the trip for me and my compatriots. Technically, this isn't part of the trial; it's just happenstance that the paths of these two incredible dangers crosses within the Mare Nostrum. Thus, I'm able to describe this in detail.

First, to even enter Our Sea, you must pass the gatekeeper. He wasn't particularly fond of us, as we were Roman, but given you should be Greek, a child of Athena, he would let you pass without hesitation. With any luck. Honestly, I have no advice other than to not provoke him, as I highly doubt you'd have the strength or skill necessary to best him in combat.

Once you are within the Mar Nostrum, you will inevitably be attacked by pirates. Not just any pirates, but those of possibly the most unknown, skilled swordsman in all of myth; Chrysaor, brother of Pegasus. If at all possible, I would recommend travelling by air; Lord Jupiter, or I suppose he would be Zeus to you, will likely watch over you far better, though admittedly, he could have made like the sea god and moved onto greener pastures; Lord Neptune (Poseidon) has long since given up the reigns on the Mare Nostrum, just as the gods as a whole have given up on the Ancient Lands.

For that reason, I wouldn't travel by land either; the sea is bad, but the land would be at least a hundred times worse. Trust me; I was forced to after a spell, literally.

Unfortunately, should you encounter Chrysaor, it's likely your quest will be over. Mine nearly ended there. His pirates slaughtered us, save for my fellow praetor, whom I told to escape, in the slim hope he could return to the Legion and continue leading it in my stead. The pirate took me as a prisoner, with intent to eventually sell me off to the witch Circe.

Eventually.

Until then, he had his way with me. I find no shame in admitting that I enjoyed the experience, as he was no stranger to a invoking a "good time" within me, though I might have had some reservations about admitting such should I not have escaped. I was defiant when in captivity, though perhaps I shouldn't have been. He found it fun, to break me each night.

Still, this is not where my journey ended, but it was not by my own hand that I was freed. They ran into a god, one of the few gods who still reside here; Hecate, goddess of the Mist. She happened to free me and train me, even granted me a power exclusive to children of Minerva, and then sent me on my way, overland, to Rome, the final destination. There, I happened to run into my fellow praetor, who'd been sent a vision that I would return from captivity. From there, we both entered the final trial.

All in all, it took me nearly three months after entering the Mare Nostrum, to reach Rome. With any luck, it should take you a day or so by sea or less than half of that by air.

My next message, my final message, will be revealed after you enter the final trial within Rome. I look forward to your arrival.

Your fellow child of wisdom"

 **Author's Note:**

 **And now we're watching season 2. He said he would stop after the Wan episodes, but no. He's going to ruin his body when he has to get up at the butt-crack of yesterday. Sigh.**

 **Anyway, why don't you let me know what you think? I'll see you tomorrow!**


	38. The Thrill Of Combat

"Approaching Mediterranean Sea, expect a bumpy landing though, folks. ETA: twenty minutes," Leo mocked a pilot's spiel. The storm had picked up as they'd flown further into it, Jason noticed. Now, even the magic of the Argo II couldn't prevent them from shaking and rocking violently. Percy and Luke seemed the most bothered by this, though they wouldn't say why. Jason could make some guesses; Kronos' influence on Luke probably had something to do with it; the Titan's father, his mortal enemy, was the embodiment of the sky. Any turbulence might subconsciously feel like payback. Percy never liked the idea of flying, since it was Zeus' domain. Piper and Annabeth tried to offer them what comfort they could.

The landing itself _was_ rough, but no more so than Jason had experienced after a sharp dive to catch someone. Then again, he was the only one of the seven with that advantage, except maybe Piper, who never got used to it. Leo whistled as he looked at the various sensors he had. "Man, according my database, another couple of minutes in these waters and we'll be history!" he exclaimed. Percy stood, only to be immediately thrown to the ground along with everyone (but Leo because he was firmly strapped into his chair) from a massive wave smashing against the side of the ship, swaying them to the side violently.

As everyone got back onto their feet, Leo was typing and steering away. "Hey, Jace, can't you, like, call you dad? Make him stop throwing a hissy fit?"

"I don't think this is my father's doing," Jason mentioned. "I'd feel it if it was."

"It'd make sense," Annabeth spoke up, leaning into Percy and Luke so they could support each other. "Tempus speculated that the gods gave up trying to regulate their elements around the Ancient Lands."

"Great, so we're well and truly abandoned," Grover lamented, hanging for dear life onto the back of Leo's chair.

"Or we'll just make like the Romans and work with the hand we're dealt, without the gods," Luke offered. "We don't need them."

"But their help _would be_ nice…" Annabeth muttered. Jason closed his eyes, agreeing with the daughter of Athena.

" _Father, please…give us safe passage…"_ he prayed. He looked to Percy, who he expected to be doing the same for his own father. Instead, he seemed to be straining, his hands tense with finger stiff as if pantomiming gripping something. Come to think of it, after the first big wave, another one hadn't directly hit; they'd been rocking unsteadily, but nothing so violent.

"Um, we've got something on the horizon…" Leo spoke up after a moment. Jason, Grover, and Piper gather around him; the Lost Trio and the best friend. "Looks like…two islands?"

"How far?"

"About forty-five seconds' worth," the son of Hephaestus relayed. As if on cue, the rocking ceased. Percy let out a massive gasp of air and had to be caught by Luke and Annabeth. Jason looked to Leo and his sensors, but all he gave was a shrug, so Jason could assume they were on course for the islands still.

" _Odd…"_ he thought. He started up to the deck, eager to get outside air into his lungs once more. Piper followed, linking her arm with his, in a kind of mutual protection for them, with her free hand on her sword, New Side, as if to threaten anyone who came near them. By that point, she'd far surpassed him in swordplay, probably matching Percy, at least when he was holding back as he is wont to do most days. Compared to them, Jason's own swordplay was…lacking. He was a spearman, through and through, though the balanced gladius did have its tactical uses.

Upon exited the hull, Jason was stunned to silence; there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, as far as the eye could see. Jason couldn't even feel any, as he normally could. It was as if they'd be forcibly willed away by something…or someone. Even the waves were calmer. They weren't smoothest thing ever, by normal standards, but the Argo II handedled everything like a dream.

Jason saw before them two massive rock formations, and in the center stood a small island with a lone man standing in the center. His arms were crossed, and he had a carefree smile on his face, as if this were a normal occurrence.

Jason moved to the edge of the ship to get a better look; the man gave off an aura that the son of Jupiter has only felt when in the presence of the gods, which was a good sign. Well built, standing around nine feet tall, and exuding an almost golden glow, he certainly cut an imposing figure. Jason would need to be sure not to provoke him. Annabeth moved to look with him as the others checked on the ship.

"Did Tempus mention anything?" he asked.

Annabeth nodded. "She said not to mess with him."

"I gathered. Anything else?"

"Said he was a gatekeeper; I guess to block demigods from entering the Ancient Lands. Percy told me that it was forbidden."

"Chiron told me something similar."

"You should let me talk to him," she suggested. "He's apparently not very fond of Romans."

"No, I'm the leader. He will speak with the leader, not a messenger…no offense…"

She gave him a hard stare. "…Alright, but if this goes wrong, it's on you."

"I'm willing to accept that," Jason said, vaulting over the edge and gliding down to meet the man. He seemed a lot bigger up close, towering over the already tall demigod.

As Jason approached, his smile faded. "I'd expected to speak with the Titan Slayer, or one of the others who defeated the Titans," the man mentioned, his voice low and booming. He spoke with a natural gusto in his inflection, like he was always playing up to a crowd. "And yet they send me an Aduro?"

Jason's fists tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm. "We're here on official business by the gods," he claimed, and the man nearly bust out laughing, shaking the rocks beside them with his bellows. "Did I say something funny?"

"Yes you did, because we gods have not spoken to an Aduro is over a century!" he continued cackling.

"You're a god?" Jason came off a bit brattier than he intended. He quickly rectified this with a bow of his head. "It's an honor, Lord…uh…"

"Heracles."

"Lord Herc- I mean-"

"Either one is fine, Aduro," he offered, though the name still made Jason's blood boil.

"Lord Hercules, we would like passage into the Mare Nostrum. It's important."

"I have no such intention until you divulge the exact reason, Aduro."

"Could you please…never mind. One of our crew is a daughter of Athena; she was tasked with retrieving a lost artifact which would mend the bond between Greeks and Romans. We were told to work together to combat the threat of the Giants, and this would solidify that."

"I see," Hercules lowered his arms to his side and spread his feet a bit further apart. Then, without warning, he socked Jason in the gut, sending him flying back onto the deck of the Argo. The force of the hit felt like he was hit by a train, knocking the air out of him for several seconds. Piper, Luke, and Grover rush to his side, helping him up, though he was still coughing. "Send me someone of substance! Only those who can overcome the mighty Heracles can reenter the Ancient Lands!"

"Heracles?" Percy questioned, numbly recalling when Zoë had told him of his role, as the reason why they couldn't just go attack him right after that quest. His body tensed as the god continued to boast.

"Have modern heroes fallen so far? Surely at least one of you can best me?" he challenged, pointing to Luke. "You! You look reasonably powerful. Come down here!"

The man glared down, his eyes pulsating as Kronos repeated over and over to just go down and murder him. He took a deep breath, and continued watching. He wouldn't be baited into letting Kronos free himself.

"If you cannot send a worthy hero, then you will have to turn back whence you came!"

"Then it's a good thing we've got a hero _more_ than worthy enough!" Percy snapped, stepping onto the railing. Annabeth tried to hold him back, and Grover quickly started helping.

"Wait! Percy, the curse!" Grover reminded him, but it fell on deaf ears. He was already falling. He landed in the water and lifted himself up.

"You bastard…you _really_ hurt a good friend of mine. Her name is Zoë!"

The god looked confused. "…Who?"

"She helped you get the golden apple! She gave up her whole life for you!" he yelled. "And now I'm gonna pay you back for it!"

"Oh," Heracles smirked. "Then the challenge has been issued," he said as Percy stepped off of his water and onto the island. Immediately, he doubled over from shock. He let loose a scream of pure and unbridled agony as his body twisted and tensed in ways that it _definitely_ wasn't supposed to. His skin turned deathly pale, as if all of the blood in his body was evaporating from within it.

"Not good, not good!" Grover exclaimed. Heracles took a step forward.

"What the hell happened?" Annabeth demanded.

"It's the Achilles Curse, it's leaving him now that he's set foot on foreign soil!"

"Oh gods!" Annabeth and Piper both started off the edge to help. Piper turned back briefly.

"Jason, save him!" she ordered, and suddenly the son of Jupiter rose and darted through the air. Luke was flexing his powers as well. The two men reached the action at the same time. Jason had drawn his Regalius in sword form. Right as the god slammed down onto Percy, Jason was there, stopping and raising his blade to block the strike. The force nearly made Jason's knees buckle immediately, but they didn't.

" _Is he…not as strong as Percy was? Or is he just holding back?"_ Jason wondered, though he didn't get much time to do so. " _Or have I gotten stronger?"_

Luke had landed at the same time, using his time dilation a bit later than he perhaps would've had he been prepared. Either way, he was back onto the ship with Percy within a few seconds. Within that few seconds, Piper and Annabeth landed and were sprinting toward the action. The god smirked at the new challenge, and seemed to offer little resistance as Jason parried up, knocking him off-balance. The two girls then let loose a synchronized kick, knocking the god down. "We need to go and regroup!" Jason urged.

"But-" Annabeth didn't get a chance to argue as Jason grabbed her arm and tugged her back. Piper came willingly, trusting in the son of Jupiter's judgement. He lifted the three back onto the ship.

"Leo, punch it!" he yelled, and the smaller boy scrambled up to the controls as Heracles stood, looking a bit dissatisfied, but also insulted.

"You think you can accept a challenge and then run away?" his voice was quiet, so they couldn't hear. As the propulsion systems came up and they started rising, the god dug his hands into the ground and yanked up a massive boulder. With his godly strength, he hurled the rock toward the Argo II, hitting it directly in the propulsion area. The ship lurch and leaned back, being back-heavy, before plummeting back into the water. Thankfully, they weren't high enough to where the impact onto the water's surface was enough to break anything, but now they were grounded, probably for a good long while. More than anyone else, this freaked Annabeth out, as her brain raced back to when Tempus warned her about the dangers of going by sea through the Mediterranean. Jason looked back, seeing Heracles hurl another rock, hitting their backside and denting the hull.

"You won't escape before I destroy you!" he yelled, lifting up and hurling another rock. Jason hesitated, thinking he could send the boulder back using his wind, but he was beaten to the punch. A small figure raced ahead of him, lit on fire from adrenaline. Leo leapt off the backside of the ship, body cloaked in red flower, before slamming fist first into the boulder. An explosion nearly engulfed them, and Jason could tell that he'd been practicing with his power to use such power.

Leo himself was shot back onto the deck, unconscious from the impact though otherwise seeming unharmed. The boulder had splintered off into a million pieces, with some of the smaller ones disintegrating into tiny embers and fading away. Grover was too busy with Percy to get to his friend, so Luke dragged him toward the satyr and out of harm's way. "That kind of trick only works once!" the Titan Lord's host called back to Jason. "You've got to take him on!"

The Roman's attention shifted back to Heracles, as he lifted another rock. He closed his eyes as he ran. " _Conquer or die,"_ he repeated in his head. For now, he needed to embrace those words. He leapt off the deck right as the god hurled the boulder.

Jason caught himself with the wind and skated just above the rock's arc, forming a kind of latch onto it from Jason's own wind connecting to it. He yanked forward, feeling a tug in his gut, and catapulted the projectile back where it came from. The god didn't move, just punched through the rock and waited. Jason landed. "Please, we don't need to fight. Just let us pass!"

"An _Aduro_ has no right to demand anything from a god!" Heracles roared back, dashing toward Jason and smashing his fists into the ground. Had the man not dove out of the way, he'd have been squashed like a bug. "If you cannot defeat me, then you'll have no hope in the Ancient Lands!"

"I don't _want_ to defeat you!" Jason pleaded, continuing to avoid his opponent's attacks. Soon, Heracles caught his foot.

"Well, you're going to have to," he lifted Jason over his head with the intention of slamming him face-first into the ground, but the man screamed, using his powers to create a sonic wave which just bounced him back up. The suddenness made Heracles lose his grip. "Come on! And you claim to be the son of the mighty Lord of the gods?! An Aduro like you probably can't even make a spark!" he mocked as Jason flew circles around him, literally.

" _Just ignore it,"_ he told himself, willing the wind to follow him, flying fast enough to try and create a small tornado. With any luck, it'd throw Heracles off the island, and, hopefully, make the island disappear as that would count as defeating him…hopefully.

Given that it was running on a lot of bad assumptions, Jason's plan probably wouldn't have played out like he wanted. But he didn't ever get to finish it anyway. Heracles didn't just stand there mocking him. No, he followed Jason, leaping up and crashing into him. "Too slow, Aduro!" they landed back onto the island with Jason on the bottom. Heracles dragged the man along the ground before throwing him away.

Jason couldn't tell which way was up, so he couldn't catch himself as he slammed into the ground. Once he got his bearing, he stood. His body should've hurt, but instead, he felt his blood pulsing, his body tense. He'd forgotten the thrill of combat, the things that people like Percy and Reyna lived for, the feeling he'd thought would be gone forever after that fateful day when the Titans attacked camp.

And at the same time, Jason felt his blood boil; he wanted to _end_ this arrogant man, and tear down his ego to a more tamable level. He wanted to talk down to Aduros? Then an Aduro would cut off his legs to look him in the eye.

Sparks lined Jason's body, the wind fierce around him. He was overflowing with power. " _Father has blessed me for a reason,"_ he thought. " _I won't be stopped here."_

A barrage of thoughts ran through Jason's mind as Heracles tensed, about to charge. He felt afraid, that he might lose control of his powers once again. His lightning was begging to be used, itching to cause mass chaos and havoc. Jason recalled how Zoë said Thalia used her powers, with a conduit. He debated drawing the Regalius again, but he wouldn't have the time.

"Come on!" Heracles challenged as he ran forward. "Show me that lightning!"

Jason felt power coursing through his, blood, his bones, his soul; flowing out of him and into the air, and into the…earth. Heracles leapt up at Jason. The man let out a roar, building up his power, and slamming his hand into the ground. He felt energy coursing through the ground, a charge waiting to be used. He willed it, and so it happened.

Beneath Heracles, a massive circle of light burned just below the ground, before shooting up as lightning. The bolt was continuous, which was incredibly taxing on Jason normally, and massive, completely engulfing the god and stopping him in his tracks. Heracles was blasted back, disoriented from the sudden assault. When he got his bearings, he found Jason's sword in his face. The man looked down on the god, sky blue eyes piercing through him in fierce judgement and righteous fury. "Yield," he ordered, opening his palm and drawing it air in case he needed to blast away the god for another bout. "Let us pass."

The god kneeled there, silent. Then, he began laughing again, bellows echoing across the ocean, as his form flickered. "Tell me, Roman; who taught you to do that?"

Jason's eyes twitched. No one taught him that directly…

"Lupa, our Mother. She said to conquer or die. It's her law, and the law of Rome in turn."

The words seemed to resonate with Heracles, and his form twitched again, before fully blurring into something different. Hercules stood, now wearing a toga and a purple cape, with the lightning bolt symbol. "Ah, I've not felt this from in centuries…" he said. "You've done well, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter. I've heard of your exploits, especially your recent ones. And I'm proud to call you my brother."

" _You didn't act like that before…"_ Jason said, lowering his sword but not saying anything.

"If you're insulting me in your head, know that you're lucky; our Greek forms are more attuned to the mind and can read those of mortals," he claimed. "Though, I get off topic. For now, you've proven you and your crew worthy," he gestured to one of the two rock formations, where he jumped and Jason then flew to. When they both landed, the island they'd been fighting on sunk beneath the surface of the water, allowing passage. "Be warned; the Ancient Lands hold many dangers for demigods such as you. Some of the deadliest beings you can imagine have never left. I wish you the best of luck."

Jason nodded and flipped the Regalius, putting it back in his pocket. Hercules looked impressed by the weapon. "…Thank you," Jason bowed once again. "And I'm sorry for my ally, Percy. He gets…emotional."

"Don't be. I've made a great many mistakes in my life, both mortal and immortal. I would never say otherwise. Tell him this; if he wishes to come back with that 'Zoë', then I would gladly accept their punishment. Mention, perhaps, that they best find me as I am now; my Greek form may not be so honorable. The Greeks never were."

"Agreed…" Jason found himself saying. "Then…I suppose we'll be off."

"Wait," he stopped the man. "One more thing…I would like to congratulate you. Your powers are incredible; continue to temper them, and you'll make a fine hero."

"…" Jason didn't respond at first, just stared at his half-brother. Then he chuckled, a bit amused. "They're not mine."

Hercules took a second to figure what he was saying, but then he smirked. "If you so wish to believe. All the same, I congratulate you and would see you on your way. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for others like you, just in case."

Jason nodded, and returned to the Argo II. It wasn't long before they'd set off, and Hercules' island was a speck on the horizon.

 **Author's Note:**

 **A bit on the shorter side today, but I'm curious as to what you all think of how Heracles played out. Some people might be disappointed that Percy didn't get to fight him, but that was kind of the point; it was Jason having to fix Percy's mess, giving him another reason not to trust him. Either way, curious as to your thoughts.**

 **Not much to say this time, but I'll see you guys tomorrow!**


	39. On Thin Ice

"Save us."

The light had grown further away than before. Percy once again found himself at the edge of the pier, with Annabeth, Luke, and the fisherman trying to reason with him to stay. In his head, he was debating whether he could make it through the water or not. He looked to either side of him, trying to find a way across, but he found nothing. The others' voices didn't register. "Save us."

"You already tried," Luke reminded him, tugging on his shoulder. "Don't leave us again; you can still fix this."

"Percy, please. We need you," Annabeth said.

"You'll fail time and again if you keep trying to overreach," the fisherman warned.

The son of Poseidon ignored them, as he reached his foot out to step into the water yet again.

"Percy?" a new voice stopped him. "Percy, is that you?"

He hesitated, waiting for them to stop him. The light pulled at him, but…something about the voice sounded important. It didn't return. Instead, he heard quiet sobbing. He turned around to absolute darkness, so tight and suffocating that Percy was about to turn back right then. Then the sobbing continued.

He saw a helpless fifteen year old girl who he'd abandoned, let fend for herself with a ghost who controlled her. "…Firefly?" his voice sounded foreign within the dream.

Her form shifted, to how he remembered her being now, sitting in a dark space. She seemed to be alive, though her blindfold was off, making her a bit more jittery than usual. Her body looked battered and weak; frail and thin like she hadn't eaten in months. Percy's voice seemed to get her attention.

"Percy?" she wondered. "Where are you? I can't see you."

"I'm…" he tried to remember. "We heard you got caught. We're on our way to rescue you. You're in Rome, right?"

She nodded. "At the Colosseum. I tracked that bastard here, but then I was jumped and put in here. I'm being watched currently; I think the 'threat' is expecting you."

"It wouldn't surprise me. How long ago were you captured, and why didn't you contact me?" he questioned. She flinched as he grilled her.

"It…didn't occur to me…I just went to the Underworld to check on my father, after going to that other camp. He was dead, Percy, I could feel it. I looked around and-"

"And when did you get Luke? And when were you going to tell me about that?"

"I wasn't," she admitted. "But I found him when I was wandering. I took him to the other camp, and then came back to the Underworld. I found that bastard, the one who killed my father. I followed him; he used the Labyrinth."

"There's an entrance in the Underworld?"

"There's an entrance everywhere," she claimed. "Including in Rome, where I came out."

"Alright, can you hold out for another day or two?"

"Well, I've lasted this long," she said, not seeming to be panicking like others might. Or maybe that's because she's gone a little stir-crazy. "What's two days?"

"Alright."

"Wait, Percy, before you go, I should tell you something."

"What?"

"This place isn't super sound-proof, at least not from my end, so I've been listening into my guard's conversations with his boss."

"You know his gimmick?"

"No, but this is even more huge. Percy, the location of the Doors of Death is here, in the city!"

"…How do you know we need to go there?"

"I've heard them talking about it, figured it was important. You know, they should've really invested in sound dampeners."

"Or maybe they're letting you hear that on purpose…" Percy couldn't help but be suspicious.

"And if they are? We can take on any surprises they've got in store, right?" she crossed her arms and tilted her head, confused.

"I'm not so sure, Firefly," Percy admitted, and he probably wouldn't do that for anyone but his closest friends. "But if you think it's important. Where's the location?"

"Apparently there's a bunker left by some demigods in Rome. It should have the location there…somewhere."

"Sounds good. We'll work out a plan once we reach Rome. Don't worry, you'll be out in no time…and Bianca…I'm glad you're safe. You've had me worried."

"Oh, that's cute, but save it for when I see you," she said, waving. Soon, the vision faded. Percy didn't return to the light. Instead, he felt an odd rising feeling.

xxxXXXxxx

The first thing that hit Percy was a strange absence of feeling. He couldn't feel his arms or legs, could just barely feel the rise and fall of his own chest. He opened his eyes to find that he was safe in the sterile environment of the sick bay. He sat up, immediately feeling a massive aching in his joints as if he were an eighty year old man trying to get out of bed to piss. "Oh…" Percy's stifled moans attracted the attention of the man at his side.

"Given how you helped me, it's sometimes difficult to remember that you're a bit of an idiot," Luke mentioned, pushing the son of Poseidon back to onto the bed. "You'll rest for another few hours."

"I'm not an idiot. I just…don't remember things all of the time."

"Or you're just an idiot…though, to be fair, that might not be the best descriptor," Luke held a finger up. "You let your emotions cloud your thoughts too much. It's an aspect of your fatal flaw, I'm guessing."

"Must be; is your need to point out other people's flaws a part of yours?"

Luke chuckled. "Maybe it is, but I've come to terms with that."

Percy nodded and stared ahead. "…that was a mistake," he said.

"Yeah, I'd imagine you're regretting stepping onto-"

"Not that," he interrupted. "Well, obviously I am, but that's not what I was referring to…I shouldn't have ever challenged Heracles. I would've won; there isn't a doubt in my mind about that. But it wasn't my fight to win or lose."

"…You're talking about your friend, the god?" Luke guessed, to which the Titan Slayer nodded once again.

"I promised her that I'd take her to settle things with him; she's never really gotten over his abandonment of her, you know? When I saw him, I thought…I don't know, that if I beat him that he'd be forced to…admit that he was wrong?" Percy sighed. "…I can't solve everyone's problems. After so long of having the weight of hundreds of lives on my shoulders…it gets tough to remember that."

"…So where would you draw the line?"

"Hm?"

"Where do you draw the line, Percy, of serving them?"

"What do you mean?"

Luke considered his words. "The Romans, as a whole, are split right down the middle; on the one hand you have the need for a stable society, that's the Legion and New Rome and the government and all of that. On the other hand you've got the individual, and how much they matter in the grand scheme of things. There's this really interesting counterbalance effect of the push and pull of these needs. I think you're dealing with something similar, and we can treat the two following conflicts as opposite sides of a spectrum. You give your life to protect these people whom you barely know and have little relation, but on the other hand you give your life for the people who are close to you; to Annabeth and the others who fought and bled with you in Manhattan last summer."

"And for you, Luke. You're my friend too," Percy returned. He held up his hand in acknowledgement before continuing.

"So then the question becomes 'where do you draw the line on the spectrum'? Because right now, from the stories Piper and Grover have told me of you tenure as swordmaster, you seem to be flip-flopping between the two."

"I'm trying to balance it," Percy claimed. "It's not as easy as you make it out to be. I've tried to be a hero to both all of the camp and to Annabeth, but…I always end up failing one or the other. Did you know I got called the Hero of One, because everyone thought I only cared about Annabeth? I don't! I cared about each and every one of the campers who fought and died! If would give anything to have them back, I-"

His voice caught, and he had to take a deep breath. "Percy…" Luke's tone was sympathetic, kind, warm. "…Why are you fighting anymore?"

"Why?" he looked at look like he was a madman. "Because….because it's all I know. Because I can't do anything else right; I'm useless, I'm…" he trailed off, losing himself for a moment.

Luke's expression became more distant from that comment. He turned away, looking out the window to the sky. "The greatest stories aren't about the greatest people. It's the greatest people's lives that make the greatest stories."

"What's that?"

"That's the way the world is, Percy. The ordinary either don't want to or don't the chance to do great things; you've done so much that's worthy of _legend_. Your name deserves to be etched alongside the greatest in history. You're a-"

"Don't say I'm a hero; I let too many people that I love die."

"And yet everyone else can't help but think of you as one."

"Well, that's not my choice," he said bitterly, clenching his fists. Luke put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You say all you know is how to fight, but you're wrong. You know how to love and care and guide. You know how to lead those around you, you know how to inspire them. You can convince them that the impossible is possible so long as you keep trying. You're _so_ wise, Percy. You need to believe that."

Percy sighed, and Luke couldn't tell whether it was out of relief or not. He was wrong; it was more sadness, but he didn't show that. "...So are you," Percy returned with thanks.

"Thank you," he said genuinely, before standing. "Alright, you need to apologize now."

"To who?"

"Who do you think had to fight Heracles after you nearly kicked the bucket?"

xxxXXXxxx

Jason wasn't sure what to do with his time. Annabeth was being extra fidgety, having been so ever since the encounter with Hercules, muttering something about pirates. She kept hounding Leo about the scanners, double and triple checking that nothing was approaching.

Jason had asked specifically what she was talking about, but she was too distracted to answer, getting so off track that they ended up discussing the logistics of who would be the most viable slaves should they be captured and sold. It wasn't very productive, and then Annabeth had to go off to check on Percy, who'd still been asleep at that point.

That wasn't the case anymore. He appeared suddenly as if nothing had ever happened. He looked as strong and able as ever which was surprising for a few reasons. First, Jason had learned about the Achilles Curse, and its effects. It naturally enhanced Percy strength and reflexes which Jason assumed was why he felt so confident in his abilities. Without the curse, he could be assumed to have weakened, though Luke, when asked, was hesitant to assume as much. Thus it'd stand to reason that he'd look the part, but no. There was also the fact that he passed out from pure pain the day prior.

However, he looked just as cocky and confident as before, if not more so. His sea green eyes scanned the deck intently, shifting from each person to the next before landing on Jason. "Please, no…" Jason begged. "Not so soon, I'm already tense as it is…"

He stopped in front of the son of Jupiter. "Hey, I need to talk to you."

Jason's jaw tightened. "What about?"

"About Heracles. I wanted to apologize."

Jason blinked. "That...wasn't what I was expecting."

"I just...it was about a friend. She has some really bad blood with him and I thought, I don't know, that I'd try and fight him on her behalf, you know?"

A nod.

" _Okay, now just...go away,"_ Jason begged in his head, though a part of him really wanted to rub it in that he beat Hercules. It was that part that was rewarded.

"So...what happened?" the son of Poseidon leaned over the railing.

"With Hercules? Not much. We fought him and beat him. Then we started sailing through."

"We should be flying," Percy claimed, before catching himself. "Never thought I'd say that…"

"We can't. We got hit during the fight, busted up our engine pretty bad. We're moving at the rate of a normal ship now, meaning we have another day or two until we get to Rome. I heard something about pirates from Annabeth, but she's too stressed to explain."

"Chrysaor," he replied. Jason shrugged, indicating that he didn't know the name. "She did some research, said that all she came up with was that Dionysus, or Bacchus, cursed him and his crew somehow. According to Tempus, he attacks somewhere within the Mediterranean, and that she was almost made into a slave because of him."

"What about the other Romans that were with her?"

"Slaughtered."

And that was that, no drama, no care, nothing, just dead. Jason frowned.

"Do you have to say it so callously?" he asked. "Because you're not coming off as very sorry for that or Hercules."

He considered that for a moment. "I guess I'm not, not for you anyway."

"What does that mean?"

"You're my lowest priority, Grace," he explained more bluntly.

"But I'm the leader of the quest; if I die, then the quest-"

"Can be taken up by someone else," Percy interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Jeez, get over yourself."

"Me? How about you get over yourself? You're nothing, just a mortal like everyone else here."

"I'm the strongest person here."

"Not without your curse, you aren't," Jason's lips curled into a smug smirk. Percy momentarily stiffened, not having expected Jason to know about it. "Now you're just like me."

He chuckled. "Pft, we're not even in the same league, Grace. Of course, if you don't believe me, we could always go another round. I'll show you exactly how powerful I am."

For a terrifying moment, Jason considered it. The blood was rushing in his ears, trying to drown out all rational thought. One flick of his hand, and Percy would be blasted away and the fight would be on.

" _He's goading you,"_ Jason reminded himself, trying to roll it back. But he couldn't help himself. "So humble," he mocked. "Very becoming of a hero. Tell me what other heroic traits you have, maybe barbarism? You seem to love your title, the 'Titan Slayer', very refined."

"Grace, you're on thin ice right now."

Even the others on the deck were becoming wary. Annabeth and Piper were overhearing the conversation. Annabeth didn't act, wanting to see how it would play out; she'd never seen them both fight and couldn't judge their power in relation to each other yet. Piper, however, was rushing to the scene.

She grabbed Jason's arm and yanked him to look at her. Her lips tucked into a deep-seated frown, eyes lowered into a scowl. 'What the hell are you doing?' she demand, using sign language. It was so fast and angry that Jason almost couldn't read it. 'You're better than that.'

Jason blinked several times, recollecting his thoughts as they'd gone away from him. He turned back to Percy. "I-I'm sorry, that was-" he was about to apologize.

Percy wouldn't let him take it back. "You know, I'm beginning to question my vote for quest leader. I'm thinking you don't have a damn bit of control over yourself. And you want to talk about my traits, what about yours? Controlling, obsessive, to name a few. You aren't any more of a hero than me, but you sure as hell like to say you are. But last I checked, you couldn't do a goddamn thing when your friends needed you!"

"Percy," Annabeth stepped in finally. He stepped back, having gotten right in Jason's face. "That's enough. You've said your piece."

If it wasn't Annabeth, he would've told whoever said that to fuck off. But it _was_ Annabeth, and with the trials he figured were ahead, they couldn't afford to be having problems.

He walked away with her, leaving Jason with no words of his own, just that same ball of anxiety and doubt he felt before, only amplified by twenty. Piper still had the frown, but her face had softened. She embraced him, and he returned it.

Gods, where would he be without Piper, ever loyal Piper? He welcomed her comfort with open arms. At least this might help him calm down, try and think clearly again. All he thought about was that Percy was right, that he didn't have control, and when his friends needed him, when Tempus needed him, he couldn't do anything.

Meanwhile, all Percy thought about was that he really needed to hit something. And he wasn't going to have to wait long.

Why did he fight? Because it was fun for him, and it let him satiate the massive rage welling up within him at having to work with another arrogant Grace. This one wouldn't last long enough to be redeemed, if he kept going like he was. Percy would make sure of it.

Upon thinking that thought, Percy stopped. He really needed to hit something, because he couldn't afford to be thinking that either.

xxxXXXxxx

Grover and Leo overheard the argument. "Jeez…" Grover sighed. "I know they have their differences, but come on…"

"I know, right?" Leo agreed. "What's their problem? It's not that hard to get along."

"I know!" Grover said before sighing again.

"...Okay, I mean I can't speak for the barnacle over there, but Jason should know better."

Grover's gaze sifted away, downward. His voice grew more hollow and somber as well. "Yeah well, I can speak for him. Percy has always been...difficult to manage."

Leo grimaced. "Oof, really? He seems pretty mellow most of the time. I mean, he sometimes has a temper, but everyone does, right?"

"He does have a temper, but that's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean? Is he like a glory hound or something? Aren't all heroes?"

"To a degree, but that's still not it, man...you know what, just forget it; it doesn't matter, really."

"What? After you've built it up like that? Come on, man, I gotta know now!"

The satyr took a deep breath, in and out, before responding. "He forgets about people a lot. Makes it kind of hard to deal with him unless he remembers you."

"What do you mean? He remembers everyone."

"Not fondly," Grover claimed. "Some people he meets, gets to know, and then leaves, like they'd died...I guess it's not too surprising, given how many of his friends and family have left."

"But...Grover...you're talking about you, right?"

"Not just me. Chiron, Ethan, Rachel. He deals with us only when he has to, like we're a co-worker. Hell, when Rachel and I followed him and Annabeth into the Labyrinth two years ago, he didn't even bother to come look for us."

"That's terrible! Come on, we can go talk to him right now to-"

"Nah, man, it's not too bad. It's not like I can't live without him, you know?"

"But Grover...he was your friend, wasn't he?"

"People move on, even heroes."

"Heroes don't abandon people."

"..."

"Well, would you abandon your friend in a death trap?" Leo questioned.

"No, I wouldn't, man."

Leo put his hand on his hip in triumph. "I didn't think so. You're already a better guy than him."

Grover chuckled, the thought naive, but comforting. "Thanks, man. Why don't you let Jason talk the wheel; you've been at it all day."

Leo nodded and then went to fetch him.

 **Author's Note:**

 **A shorter one today, but it works out because tomorrow you'll get to question my sanity again with how I treat Annabeth, and you get to see Percy be Percy, and the next chapter after that is long because of the ramifications and implications of the prior chapter.**

 **So with that, and I'll repeat this tomorrow before the chapter, I'll say that it will be necessary for you to separate the actions and views of me as the writer, with the actions and views of some of the characters. I don't condone some of what will happen tomorrow, in fact I don't condone a lot of it. You'll see what I mean.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you thought this time, especially with the expected backlash I got for narrative subversion last time with Hercules.**


	40. You Say Run

**DISCLAIMER:**

 **The actions and views of the different characters do NOT represent my views or what I would do as a writer. Keep that in mind, because some fucked up shit is going down today.**

 **END DISCLAIMER**

* * *

The yawn was incredible. It was like it echoed throughout the Argo II endlessly, coming back and echoing past Leo again, twice, three times. It was truly a yawn fit for a god.

The impish boy slumped over the table in the mess hall, exhausted. A monitor that Festus used to watch him drew closer, whirring and beeping in the dragon's unusual language.

"Nah, buddy. Just tired. You can check my vitals; I'm right as rain!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing as his yawn in the empty room. No one yelled at him to be quiet, so either he was with Piper, who wouldn't do that, or everybody was on deck, where they couldn't hear him.

The rest of the day, Leo was trying to fix the engine, let Jason take the wheel. The guy didn't know how to steer very well, so Leo installed portable control and Festus-vision to take over should he mess up. It was one of his many conveniences that he allowed the crew.

Currently, he was taking his one break for food, but it was midday. They'd reach Rome by nightfall if all went well. If they had to completely stop, then the next morning.

And oh boy would they have to stop, but that's getting ahead of things.

The first sign of trouble was the turbulence. Or...wave-ulence. The boat was rocking a lot, which shouldn't have been happening. What damage Heracles had done didn't affect the stabilizers, meaning that whatever was hitting the ship, be it waves or air currents shouldn't have affected the Argo II. Unless it was ridiculously strong, like the storm leading to Heracles.

So then, logic states that whatever was rocking the ship was doing so from either within or on top of it.

Of course, Leo didn't realize this until a man with the head of a dolphin barged in while he was eating dessert.

Leo dropped his fudge, literally, as the monster caught sight. The son of Hephaestus will admit that he screamed like a little girl at first, but when worse came to worst...he ran away. He couldn't help it; you sure as hell wouldn't be able to react properly when your brain was busy enjoying the delicacy of sugary fudge.

Within a few moments of running around the mess hall, Leo realized that he needed to fight it off. He lit himself ablaze, so thankful that he took the extra breath to tell his cabinmates that, yes, he _did_ want the entire ship to be fireproofed before takeoff.

The dolphin guy momentarily faltered, confused by this flaming Santa's helper, before he got a fist full of the stuff. Then he took it seriously.

The first shot, more of a sucker-punch, had enough oomph behind it to knock the dolphin onto the ground. The next hit, a kick, blasted him into the wall. "Thank you, Jason," Leo muttered, dumbfounded at the unnatural strength he was displaying. "So _this_ is what being a demigod feels like!"

His celebration didn't last long, as the dolphin stood and drew his sword. He made a weird clicking noise as if in challenge. A master swordsman, huh? Jason had warned him of this Chrysaor guy, and Leo would be the one to take care of him.

"Come on, human paraquat!" he challenged in return, grabbing inside his tool belt and producing a hammer, still his best weapon. Swords were so last war. Of course, then his hammer was sliced through almost immediately. Leo didn't have a chance to give a witty remark, opting instead to dodge the next swipe, which went straight through the chair he was near. The imp leapt onto the table and lit himself ablaze yet again, kicking the dolphin man when he could. Eventually, the monster let loose a downward slash, which Leo managed to avoid, and got his blade embedded into the table.

Leo took his chance, building up his strength into a white-hot fist, and decked the dolphin head. The monster went flying, and when he landed, he exploded into dust. Leo, at first, was horrified at having ended a life. Then he was ecstatic, upon remembering that monsters just go to Tartarus when they die.

He screamed again, this time from excitement. "I did it!" he yelled, dashing through the halls. "I did it! I did it, I did it, I did it! I beat the-" he opened the door of the deck to find chaos.

Surrounded on all sides by a choking fog, appearing like a sphere around them, and beyond that was nothing; the mist. Leo quickly figured that it wasn't natural. About thirty more dolphin men were aboard, dueling each of the crew of the Argo II. Piper was struggling to make it to Grover and Jason, the latter of whom was holding off about half with his wind. Percy and Luke were back-to-back, handling the other half.

"Heads-up!" Leo heard from behind him, before another dolphin man was thrown above him from within the ship. Annabeth emerged with another exploding from the fatal wound she'd inflicted with her knife. She had a few cuts, and there were rope marks on her wrists, but she looked uninjured besides that. Her eyes were wide in terror. They were going to take her; she knew it. They'd tried to kidnap her in her sleep, but she managed to get away. Now she had another few dozen to deal with.

But she wasn't alone.

"Annabeth!" Percy called over the madness, blasting a hole in the enemy ranks. Strong and steady, he waved for her to get to him. Leo did his best to get to Jason, but it was very slow-going. Eventually, he met up with Piper, with her often having to cover for him. His breathing was heavy, his heart unused to this level of exertion.

Annabeth met with Percy quickly, the two having fought their way to the other. No words were exchanged, as they tried to make their way back to Luke. They did so too late.

The Titan Lord's host was at the edge, the side where the enemy was boarding. He was met with a new challenger. Momentarily, the fighting stopped as he vaulted over the railing and onto the deck of the ship. His steps felt heavy, like metal. His face was obscured by a mask which protruded tendrils, like snakes; the mask depicted Medusa. "In all the centuries I've pillaged, I've never met such a scrappy group of demigods," he claimed. His eyes scanned the deck. "Kill the Aduro, the satyr, and the imp. Save the women, and the son of Poseidon; they'll make for good sale to one group or another. This one," the man raised his blade to Luke. "This one will fall to the blade of Chrysaor."

And with that, the chaos resumed, only it was targeted this time. Two dozen more dolphin heads boarded, crowding around Annabeth and Percy, while those that were already on the ship dealt with the others. Thanks to Annabeth, though, they'd prepared in advance for a difficult fight.

Luke especially looked ready, though not to fight. Rather, he was avoiding the attack. Each swipe Chrysaor threw was dodged, in some way or another; Luke never threw a punch. "Come on," dared the pirate. "I was promised a challenge from you at least! Show me the Titan Lord's power!"

"Who promised you?" Luke questioned, catching a downward slash between his palms, throwing the pirate to the side to trip him up.

"The Giants are generous indeed; they're so eager to capture the children of sea and wisdom that they'd even tip me off."

"Of course they are," Luke feigned disinterest, dodging another flurry of blows. He didn't afford himself any chance; it was so painfully obvious that this man was holding back, waiting for Luke to step up his game.

Piper intervened briefly, getting the chance to engage the pirate after breaking from Leo who was close to Jason. She didn't stand a chance even with the fractional skill that Chrysaor was displaying. He quickly parried her attack and rent the flesh of her arm and then slashed her leg. She cried out but bit her lip.

Chrysaor's lackeys approached her with a length of rope, intending to bind her, but Leo stepped up, blasting them all away from her. "Get back!" Luke ordered. "He's too much for you!"

In his aim to protect Piper, Luke put himself at risk. He just managed to turn back to see another downward slash. Luke held up his hand and let Kronos' power flow through his arm, just enough to form his armor, blocking the strike.

"Ah, so you have his power after all!" the pirate seemed excited. "Now the fun can begin!"

"You want me? I'd have thought you'd want the strongest person on the ship," Luke said, seeing Percy arc behind Chrysaor. The pirate faltered, unsure of what he meant. "It's not me. It's him."

He realized it just a second too early, and rolled out of the way of Percy's jumping stab, as he put himself between Chrysaor and everyone else. Blade raised in a defensive position, even Percy could see the depths of this man's talent with the sword.

"Him? The Titan Slayer doesn't interest me; I've killed many overconfident demigods in my time."

"Lucky for you, I'm far from overconfident," Percy returned. Chrysaor seemed to take this as arrogance, but Luke knew better, that it was more of self-depreciation than anything. Still, the pirate was goaded into a duel, leaving Luke to try and make his way over to the others, who were trying to hold their own as Grover desperately tried to heal Piper.

Chrysaor made the first move, charging and attempting to run Percy through. Sparks flashed as he parried, stepping back, feeling a bit of warmth drip down his cheek, feeling droplets of blood fall to his hand. " _Faster than I was expecting,"_ Percy thought numbly, trying to assess his own skill without the curse. After experiencing the peak of his skill with a blade while using the curse, Percy had been working tirelessly to replicate it without exerting its power. Now was the test to see if it worked.

The pirate continued the assault, seeing that Percy was at a disadvantage from his slight shock. After dodging and parrying a few more blows, Percy was forced to run, try to regroup.

He carved his way through the dolphin men, getting to a more open space near the center of the deck. He whirled around, predicting a slash, but was instead tripped up, landing on his back. Chrysaor slashed downward, but Percy rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow. The pirate followed up, Percy still on the ground, and thrust his blade toward the wolf's throat.

He stopped just short, as he felt something sharp against his own. Under his mask, Chrysaor smirked, amused that Percy would try something like this.

The son of Poseidon had summoned a slice of water, hardened like the edge of a blade, held up against the pirate's neck. The two were at a standstill. Chrysaor chuckled. "I'd been told you were the greatest swordsman of your time," he mocked, stepping away. Percy got back onto his feet, his water still ready for use. "That the strength and speed of your blade was enough to fell the mightiest Titan. It appears the story has already been exaggerated."

With a scoff, Percy dispersed the water into the air, trying not to let himself be manipulated by the pirate's words. Even as he tried, though, there was a part of him that desperately wanted to prove the stories true.

"You disagree? I suppose you would, considering how much you're holding yourself back. Come on; show me the dual-bladed fury that strikes fear into the heart of every monster!"

Percy flexed his off arm, feeling the familiar build-up of power form in his palm, a sea-green glow emanating from his body. He stopped, however, just as the water began to take shape. He let it disperse once again, his power dropping back to normal.

"Oh? Having difficulties?"

"No. You're just not worth the effort," Percy returned. With that one sentence, he'd done more damage to his opponent's pride than anything that had been said to him. He said that, despite the fact that it'd been _so_ long since he'd felt the rush. The feeling of the highest stakes, of his life, being on the line. The thrill of a true fight, of a duel, was something he thought he wouldn't experience for the rest of his life. At first, he fought against this wild throbbing in his heart, this longing for combat, but he quickly found that it was easier to just go with it. For once, Percy chose the easy route.

Why did he fight? Because it was fun.

In a rage, Chrysaor sprung, launching a flurry of attacks at the young demigod. Now expecting their ferocity, Percy was able to handle the onslaught much more comfortably, taking careful measure of his stabs, which carried much more oomph than his other swings.

Percy let himself be backed into the foray of battle, opting to play defense. He side-stepped to get back-to-back with a dolphin head, and let Chrysaor stab through his own henchman. Taking the chance, Percy launched his own offensive. While he couldn't get through the pirate's defenses, he was able to push him to the edge of the ship.

Percy slipped up, getting knocked a bit off balance from a well-timed parry. The pirate attacked swiftly, trying to cleave through Percy's exposed arm, but then he lost control of the fight completely. The demigod caught Chrysaor's hand as it came around for the swing of the blade, and forced it back, allowing Percy to follow up with a quick elbow to the mask.

Chrysaor stumbled back, shocked at the traditionally dirty tactic of mixing hand-to-hand with swordplay. Percy took the opportunity to keep his flow going, pushing the pirate back further, knocking him off-balance several times, and quickly finding an advantage through it, kneeing the pirate's chest and then tripping him up as he stumbled back.

Percy shot forward, letting his blade swing true, as he stabbed downward with the intent to kill. He missed, as the pirate rolled backwards to try and make distance. The son of Poseidon tore through the deck, not bothering to lift his blade until it was necessary, and brought it up in a brutal upward swing which knocked Chrysaor's sword right out of his hands from the force of the blow. This was the strength Percy remembered having during his battle with Atlas, the kind of strength that had allowed him to take each punishing blow head-on and dish it out in kind.

At this point, Percy had become tunnel-visioned on his battle, ignoring the larger picture, which was going increasingly awry the longer this went.

As soon as Percy had taken over the fight, Luke had rushed to regroup with the others, quickly making it to them. "Jason!" he called over the fighting. "You need to clear up this fog so we can get out of here!"

"No time!" the son of Jupiter returned, being busy fending off a horde of dolphins who were trying to take advantage of Piper's injury and Grover having to stop to heal her. Leo took one side, the edge of the ship, blasting away all dolphins who attempted to board, when Jason was left with those already on the Argo II.

His spear twirled and spun elegantly, slicing through the dolphins like they were as soft as the air itself, but it wasn't enough. Luke arrived just in time as one got through, kicking him away before he could do harm. "Fog, now," Luke insisted. "I've got this."

Jason didn't have time to weigh his options; the fog _had_ to go if they were to have a chance to escape, as they definitely couldn't reasonably take on the seemingly endless numbers of Chrysaor's pirates. While he didn't know of Luke's actual capabilities, he nodded and shot into the air, blasting away all those he passed as he ascended. He felt the familiar tug in his gut and bent the wind to his will. He spun rapidly, forcing the wind to trail him, creating a pulling effect like a tornado. After building up enough power, Jason stopped suddenly, pushing his arms, and the wind, outward in a wide burst. The fog was caught up in the blast, and quickly cleared.

This revealed the massive cannon.

Approximately three hundred meters away was Chrysaor's ship, with many dolphin men still on it and many more swimming closer. The ship itself was massive, at least three times the size of the Argo II, and it had _much_ bigger guns. Well, one bigger gun, that was ready to fire.

Aimed right at them had to have been the largest cannon ever created by far, shooting a massive cannonball straight at the Argo II. The sound of its firing was enough to nearly deafen those on the Argo II, and the speed at which it was approaching didn't allow time to debate.

Percy showed no signs of halting his duel, so it was up to Jason to stop it. He dove down to the line of fire and shot his wind toward it with all of his might. The round showed no signs of slowing, even with Jason's full force behind his wind. Seeing that he had no chance of stopping it, Jason opted for another strategy. He shot wind under it, just under it, and then lurched up. He spun, willing the wind to flow past him, above the ship. The cannonball lurched up with him, and soared over the ship, landing about a hundred meters away.

The son of Jupiter wanted to fly back up to the deck and continue the fight, try and gain an advantage, but he couldn't. He could barely muster staying aloft from the strain he just put on his powers without warning. His arms ached, his whole body felt fatigued, weak, nearly in shock.

" _You need to go back up there. You're their leader,"_ he reminded himself, taking several slow, deep breaths, calming his nerves. Soon, the pain and discomfort faded enough, and he rose above the deck, trying to figure out a plan. Luke was handling himself better than Jason was in the same situation, having little difficulty flexing his time dilation powers to force the dolphins away. Piper was recovered, at least enough to wield New Side once again. The four of them seemed to be doing fine. Percy had gained a significant advantage over his opponent, continually forcing him back. Jason even thought that Percy had disarmed him.

And Annabeth was…

Jason scanned the ship, finally spotting her far away from the others, facing off against a dozen dolphins and losing. Her leg was badly cut up, her knife barely held in a bloody palm. " _No, no, no, no, no…"_ Jason repeated the word in his head, as if it would help. He dove, but by the time he got close, they had already seized her.

Percy had disarmed Chrysaor, completely defeating him, and yet didn't stop. So single-minded was he that he continued pursuing the fleeing pirate. He chased Chrysaor into the main battle, where he unfortunately got a replacement sword from the corpse of a fallen dolphin. The two clashed. "Still think they exaggerated?"

"You filthy mongrel! You _can't_ be this strong! It's impossible!" he spat, his mask cracked and deformed, broken off in the corner to reveal a soulless eye. Meanwhile, Percy's eyes were lit up in excitement, all too caught up in the thrill.

Percy forced the pirate back to the edge of the ship, slashing down and shattering that portion of the rail. Chrysaor had dodged the blow and was dashing away, trying to create distance to gain his footing again. Percy didn't allow that. He shot onto the railing and charged, leaping off the ship, raising the water, and kicking off the wave he'd created, landing to block off the pirate.

He stopped somewhat awkwardly, startled at the son of Poseidon's speed and relentlessness. Percy quickly disarmed him again with a technique Luke had taught him, as one of his first lessons. By all rights, the attempt should've failed, but Chrysaor was so frazzled by being bested that he was making beginner's mistakes. Percy saw his chance, ready to end it. Chrysaor had nowhere to run, being backed against another wall, without a weapon, and Percy had a clear shot to his heart.

Then they both heard the scream.

Everything froze, and Percy's tunnel-vision returned to his normal sight. His eyes darted around, trying to recall the context of his duel. Then he saw Annabeth, resoundingly beaten, having been abandoned by Percy so he could have his fun, only to be captured and now used as a hostage.

Percy didn't realize it, but he was panting, for the first time in a long time. He tried to control his breathing, to little avail, especially with his lover in the hands of the enemy. Chrysaor chuckled, knowing he'd won the true battle. "Well, unfortunately for you, we pirates don't deal in honor," he mocked, pushing Riptide down. "All of you, drop your weapons," Percy didn't hear the order, eyes fixated on Annabeth, who was shaking her head. She didn't speak; the sword held up to her neck tended to stifle comments. "I said," he slapped Percy, shaking him from his trance. "Drop your weapon."

" _Do what he says, man,"_ Riptide advised. Reluctantly, the son of Poseidon obeyed, and soon the rest of them did as well.

What happened next is the single most disgusting thing Percy ever had the displeasure of witnessing.

"It's not often a demigod could best me in single-combat," Chrysaor mentioned, waltzing casually over to Annabeth, who glared at him with contempt. Under his mask, he grinned; he _loved_ the rebellious type. "In fact, it has never happened. And I must say; the feeling is absolutely infuriating. All I have in life is the knowledge that I am the greatest swordsman to ever grace the world of gods and monsters. And now…you have taken that from me. Perhaps, then," he stroked Annabeth's cheek. "I shall take something from you."

"Don't touch her!" Percy growled, tugging at the waves to aid him. He could end it, right there, and no one would be able to-

"Percy," Jason caught his attention. The son of Poseidon saw that the others were being used as hostages as well, swords to necks, ready to kill. Percy gnashed his teeth together as, in one move, Chrysaor ripped the clothes off of Annabeth.

He visibly shook at the sight; no one else was supposed to have seen her so blatantly, so intimately. It got even worse, as the pirate began caressing her skin, starting at her neck, working down to her breasts and sides, messaging her. She was silent through this part. She and Percy locked eyes for a brief moment. She wanted to tell him that it was alright, that if she had to suffer this to help them, then she would pay it gladly. Unfortunately, all that came out was a moan of pleasure as Chrysaor went to work.

Leo, Piper, and Grover turned away. Jason had to hold Luke back from intervening, knowing that even if they got him off of her, then they'd be dead before they had the chance to get their weapons back.

Percy was visibly shaking as he witnessed the act, the absolutely unforgiveable act being committed upon Annabeth.

"It's alright to enjoy this, little girl," the pirate said, his voice dripping with condescension. "I promise; this will be the best you ever get."

" _Look away, man. It'll be easier that way,"_ Riptide advised, but Percy couldn't. His eyes were wide with fury. As it went on from ten seconds to passing two minutes, Percy's heartrate quickened. He felt himself slipping, succumbing not to the thrill, but to his own wrath. It wouldn't be the first time he let it overcome him.

" _I can't watch this anymore!"_ Percy yelled in his hand. In an instant, every muscle in his body strained, arm out to Chrysaor.

The pirate froze. "What…" he struggled to speak. "What is this? I can't…"

"P-Percy?" Annabeth had been sweating, wheezing from the experience. Well, it was more trauma than experience. Suddenly, Chrysaor's body lurched back, taking a forceful step away from Annabeth. Percy had taken hold of the water in his blood, all of his blood.

"Y-you…"

"You've made the biggest mistake of your life by violating her," Percy's voice was low, rage barely contained. "I don't care what happens after; you are going to die in the next ten seconds."

"You can't-" Chrysaor didn't say anything else. Percy exerted his power, twisting and snapping Chrysaor's blood vessels as he pleased. The pirate cried out in utter agony.

"I hope I see you again, so I can do this over and over and over," Percy's lips curled upward in a sadistic smile. And once Chrysaor saw that, his life was over. Percy wrenched his arms downward, and every drop of blood that was in Chrysaor's body came out of every orifice he had. The lifeless, bloodless husk dropped to the deck. The dolphin men didn't know what to do, but Percy did. He quickly willed the water around the ship to seize them, at least those threatening the Argo II crew. The rest didn't move an inch until Percy straightened his back, shooting a glare at each of them in turn.

All at once, they ran. They dove off the side, shooting like torpedoes back to their own ship. Jason let out a breath that he felt he'd been holding since the fighting stopped. "Okay, guys, now's our chance. Secure everything so we can-" he didn't finish before he saw Percy charging after them, diving into the ocean himself in a blind fury. "So we can _escape_ while we can!" he called after him, to no avail.

The others rushed to Annabeth's side, who, all things considered, looked well off. Even Annabeth thought she felt good, given that she'd nearly been raped by a three thousand year old monster pirate. Luke quickly relinquished his jacket and Piper her scarf, while Grover went to work healing, and Leo went to grab more clothes and blankets.

That left Jason to watch after Percy, and finally see what made him so feared.

The dolphins didn't make it to their ship. They were cut off under the water by a massive blast, shot by Percy, who'd pushed ahead of them using his superior control over water. He forced all of them to stand on the surface, with the dolphins confused at first.

A grin made its way to Percy's face, a wild, crazy grin that matched the intense glow of his eyes. He raised his hands and held them up to show his opponents. "Come on," he challenged. "I won't even use weapons. I'll take all of you on!"

" _Let's show these prehistoric bitches how we do things downtown,"_ Riptide agreed.

And then, the massacre began. Not only were there still three or four dozen dolphins from the Argo II, but another three dozen who hadn't attacked, who were coming to join. By Jason's estimate, it would've taken at least triple that total to make a difference.

Percy's punches and kicks, empowered by the ocean, were more than enough to either make the dolphins' bones collapse in on themselves, or to simply cut their bodies in half. Jason imagined the way he kicked as having the intention to cut straight through the impact point. Now, he realized that that description was more accurate than he first guessed.

It started as three, ganging up on him, which then multiplied to fifteen, to twenty-five. No matter how many of them came at him, he killed them. Some of the survivors rushed away, taking advantage of the chaos to try and escape. Percy wouldn't let them, shooting after them toward their ship.

He was so blinded by his anger that he didn't notice that they'd reloaded their massive canon. It fired on him point-blank, catching him off guard. He was stopped in his tracks, forced back, but he took the hit head on, and after travelling about half-way between the two ships, he stopped it. It landed and began sinking into the sea with a sploosh. Percy let out a labored breath. His blood was pumping harder than it had in so long. The mere year it'd been since the Titans was too long for Percy to go without a decent fight, a decent thrill. If he couldn't get that thrill through competition, then he would gladly settle for this.

Percy stepped forward. "I am the force that splits the sea," he declared. "I am the one who repelled the Titan attack on Olympus. I am the one who killed Atlas. I am the one who will protect the people on that ship, and if you want to harm them, then come," he beat his chest. "And face the power of the Titan Slayer!" he roared, seeing that they'd already reloaded the big canon, and fired.

Percy shot his water at it, arcing around it and forming a latch. He leapt over the shot and tugged, dragging the cannonball up with him. He let its altered momentum carry him back to the ship that it was fired from, before slamming it down with all of his might, completely destroying the ship in its entirety and sending the crew either into the sea or into Tartarus, depending on where they were relative to the point of impact.

Percy became acutely aware of each of the stragglers, totaling nearly a dozen. As he fell, Percy drew his hidden weapon, the broken Oathkeeper, and raked it up his own arm. The pain was masked by adrenaline, but Percy felt the tug and viscera of his blood seep into his power. With a roar as he landed, Percy slammed his slit arm into the water, willing the blood to kill. Several lean tendrils of a mix of blood and water shot into the sea, appearing as a massive crimson spider's web in the sea.

The tendrils quickly found their mark and then receded back to Percy, who let them disperse soon after.

It took several moments of heavy, labored breathing for Percy's brain to register that the fight was over. He stood on the water, nearly doubling over from light-headedness. He'd only used his blood as a weapon twice before, once on a whim and the other at a time he really shouldn't have, against Kronos. Since then, with the curse, he couldn't have used it if he wanted to, and he never wanted to. It was an unnatural power, perhaps darker than any other god's child could have.

He felt the Argo II approach. He turned to face it, blood still dripping from his open wound, and he raised himself to step back onto the deck. Without a word, without even looking at the others, he shuffled over to access the personal quarters, and made his way to his own room to rest.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey all! Thanks so much for reading! This is a big chapter for me, because it's really the first time we get to see who is effectively the strongest character that regularly appears, just cut loose. That, and it's where I finalize the boundaries that I'm willing to take the characters to in terms of what's done to them. While hardship is ahead, nothing will come close to as fucked up as this, in my opinion.**

 **Another quick disclaimer, I want to state that I cannot condone any kind of sexual assault or attempted acts like it, and I believe that rapists should be put to death or castrated for subjecting someone to something worse than that. Just wanted to get that out there.**

 **Anyway, saving my butt aside, what did you think? Personally, I love this chapter, just because of its intensity.**

 **Real quick, I'm put my ending for this season: it's gonna be "Ready Steady Go" by L'arc~en~ciel, the second opening of the original Fullmetal Alchemist. I would use much of the same imagery used in the show, except replace Ed and Al with Jason, Leo, and Piper. With the chorus starting, I'd have the characters come in with Reyna flexing in place of Armstrong, Annabeth slashing with her dagger in place of Hawkeye, Luke doing what Huges does, and Percy being Mustang, doing a water thing. I promise it makes sense if you watch the damn thing.**

 **Anyway, that's it for me; I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	41. Don't Know What It's Like

It wasn't easy to move on from the event of the day. Chrysaor's attack had ravaged the whole crew. Even with Grover's healing magic, the injuries were grievous when compared to any they'd dealt with before.

Leo took a couple nasty hits, though at least was acting normal. Piper had that run in with the pirate captain himself, earning her a brand new gash on her arm. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she could hardly move it without a dagger of pain shooting up, engulfing her whole body. She spent the rest of the day tending to Annabeth, being the sole other girl. Jason had come off relatively unscathed, but was even more fatigued than he'd been the prior two days, where he'd fended off an army and then dueled arguably the greatest Greco-Roman hero in all of history. Not to mention, the sight of seeing something so horrible done to Annabeth, coupled with the new knowledge that even as he handily beat Jason, Percy had been _severely_ handicapping himself. The gap between them had only grown without Percy ever having to improve.

The idea was a major blow to his pride, and as a leader that was very dangerous.

Luke had perhaps been more traumatized by what'd happened than who it'd been done to. This man had been the oldest companion of Annabeth's, her older brother in many ways, and he just had to watch that, watch her nearly be raped by a mythical pirate.

Granted, when he had captured her in service to the Titans, and he was in hindsight very messed up in the head, he'd caused her a great deal of pain. Even then, however, he had the decency to keep her clothes on. Even then, he let her keep her dignity.

Ironically, the one who seemed the least affected was Annabeth. She usually chided Piper's attempts to coddle her, though she eventually accepted the company. Within an hour of them moving again, she was smiling and laughing like she'd been...well, she hadn't laughed much since they left Camp Jupiter. Jason couldn't help but assume that it was her own kind of coping method, trying to act normal.

" _Camp Jupiter…"_ the name hung limply inside Jason's mind, like a childhood memory. The more Jason tried to push the thoughts away, the more they threatened to envelop him. How he wished to just run away from all of this conflict, to go back to lead alongside Reyna.

He'd thought Camp Half-Blood was nice when he was there, a nice vacation spot, but the overwhelming sense of relief he felt upon seeing his home for the first time in half a year...it very nearly overtook him.

Jason really had nothing to do until they got to Rome the next day, Chrysaor had delayed them that heavily, so he ended up wandering the deck of the ship, running possibilities in his head of what they'd go up against once they reach their destination.

One thing was for sure: Annabeth wouldn't be going alone into whatever second trial the Mark led her to. That was one of the only things that Percy and he agreed on, given her sorry state after the first.

Leo had spent his spare time inventing a new scanner that would hopefully help them find wherever the location of the Doors of Death. Jason didn't even want to know how it worked.

Then there was Bianca, Percy's retainer. According to Percy, who was sent a dream as Bacchus predicted, she was being held below the Colosseum. He had no idea what the plan was there.

Jason sighed. He needed to sleep on it, come up with something when he was refreshed. Or after he meditated.

Gods, but he wanted to calm his mind. He was so wound up, more so than he'd ever been before. But no, he had a responsibility to the crew. He kept checking on Leo, worried about his injuries. The son of Hephaestus pushed him away, claiming that he was fine. And maybe that was true, and Jason needed to trust the impish boy. But that trust was difficult to materialize, and with that, it dawned on Jason that his distrust of Greeks was growing worse still, extending even to those he knew before all of this started.

Truth be told, the only one he felt that he could fully trust was Piper, ever loyal Piper. She never questioned his decisions, always trusted his judgement, and was there when he found this incessant nagging to just cut ties with the Greek took over.

Then there was Percy…Jason didn't even want to think about him. Blatantly disobeying his orders as the quest leader, going off on his own multiple times, with Fort Sumter, with Hercules, and now with the dolphin pirates. Just thinking about that man's insubordination made Jason mad, and that couldn't happen. Whatever was to unfold in Rome, Jason knew he needed to keep a level head through it, or nothing good would come.

Instead, Jason went over to Annabeth, who was with Piper at the moment. It was a mistake to do so as it ended poorly and all he learned was that she too was a potential psychopath, but the son of Jupiter couldn't have known that until he tried.

"Hey, I'm sorry I haven't come to check on you yet," he began. "Had to get us moving, you know?"

She smiled. It was the kind of smile that said 'got it, now go away'. "No problem; I would've done the same. How're the others doing? Have you checked on Percy?"

Jason smiled back, trying to make it look genuine. "Not yet, he's after you," he lied; he wasn't going to check on Percy. The fish-head could rot for all Jason cared. " _No, stop thinking that! That's the whole problem!"_ the conscious part of his brain yelled at him.

"Oh, okay."

"Actually, on the topic, I wanted to apologize for something else. About what happened, uh…I'm sorry that…well, about two things, really," he stuttered, figuring the subject was touchy, to put it lightly. Piper slapped him lightly on the arm and said in sign language 'out with it.' Jason took a deep breath. "I should've stopped it, what happened to you. And I'm also sorry you had to watch Percy go Rambo and…brutally…murder, all of those pirates."

He only got a reaction from the second one, that of brows raised in surprise. "Really?"

"Really," he said flatly. It looked like she was fighting back a laugh, a single snort coming out from her attempts. "Go ahead, laugh. I'm just…trying to be nice, you know."

She didn't laugh, instead composing herself. "No, it's sweet, but you don't have to apologize for either of them. On the first; I feel like I've been through worse. It might be my amnesia messing with me, but I'd take that over going through Fort Sumter again. On the second, um…" she scratched her chin with one finger, avoiding his gaze, because she knew that he wasn't going to like what she said next. "I actually…thought it was kind of hot…"

Jason blinked, several times. He even had to take a step back. "What?"

"Well, I mean, he just…took charge, you know? And he did it for me, which was even cooler," it sounded like she was describing how he bought her a gift without asking. "Sorry, I know that sounds…weird…"

"Yeah," the son of Jupiter didn't try to hide his…what was the word? Disappointment? "I'll say."

"…"

The smiles had long since faded, all pretenses of this being a visit out of compassion thrown out the window. Annabeth knew from the beginning that he didn't genuinely want to see her, that he was just doing his rounds. And he now knew that she was completely tone deaf to his values, that she didn't really care what he thought of her. And the thoughts weren't that kind.

"Well," she spoke up finally. "Thanks, Piper, but I think I need to some time to process. And some food. I'll be in the common area," she said. It was a flimsy excuse, but Jason was glad she left all the same. Piper shook him a couple times.

'Don't dwell on it,' she advised. 'She might just be trying to cope.'

Jason shook his head. "I've seen people cope; that isn't what it looks like."

Piper took a deep breath. "Velaira," she sang the word, doing a convincing job of sounding carefree. "Velaira."

"I know, I know…" he said sullenly, realizing that she was the only one he could say truly cared about him.

"You wanna talk about it?" she asked.

"Yes, more than anything," he answered automatically. It took a second for them both to realize what happened. In that moment of realization, as Piper cursed herself, Jason felt relief. It reminded him of better times, when this threat was just a distant shadow. He laughed, genuinely, while Piper shook her head, seeming mortified.

'Sorry,' she said in sign language.

'It's no issue,' he returned. 'But I do wanna talk about it, if you wouldn't mind.'

'Not sure if I can add anything, but if you need to vent, I'm all ears.'

Jason smiled. "Thank you."

"Velaira to you too."

xxxXXXxxx

Annabeth was very good at lying. She was so good that she even convinced herself that she was okay, but she wasn't. She felt fine until she was alone, in bed, with her thoughts. She reached down, underneath her pants, and tried to replicate the overwhelming feeling of forced, perverted pleasure she felt in that moment, but she couldn't. And that left a gaping hole inside her heart.

The obvious reaction to that statement is 'get over it', out of context anyway, but it was a genuine worry. Annabeth could recall a vague shadow of a memory where she felt something akin to that pleasure, likely when she and Percy had slept together before she lost her memories. She remembered being incredibly frustrated when she couldn't remember who it was that evoked that feeling within her, after she lost her memory. And now, just as things were becoming hopeful that she could feel that again, this happens.

She could find joy in learning, in accomplishing difficult tasks. That wasn't the issue. But human beings are animals and at their deepest levels they crave physical pleasure and intimacy, and those things, Annabeth feared, would be forever desensitized for her; numbed to the point of boredom…or terror. She didn't know which yet. But she was determined to find out eventually.

She stepped out onto the deck after two hours of failing to fall asleep. The night air was chilly, enough to make her want to go back and get thicker clothes, before she spotted a blanketed man sitting against the opposite wall of the deck.

A hum was heard across the deck, coming from a the man, his voice rich and laden with talent. He was humming the chorus of Hallelujah, occasionally muttering some of the words of the first chorus.

As Annabeth drew closer, she hummed along with him, making him stop. The blanket was over his head, covering his whole body to protect from the cold. He unhooded himself to look at her. "Do you always come out here at midnight?" she wondered. He chuckled.

"You're not the first pretty girl to ask me that," he said dryly, obviously exhausted.

"Oh, do I have some competition?"

"She thought so at the time, but I think you're in the clear," he tried to smile, but it came off forced.

"Gods, you need some sleep."

"Kinda hard."

Annabeth moved closer, sitting next to him. He offered the blanket, and soon they were both huddled under it. "Why is it hard?"

"Hrm…" he mumbled something and turned away.

"What did you say?" she wondered, and then noticed a splotch of red in the relative darkness. "And why haven't you wrapped that gash yet?" she questioned, quickly ripping off part of the blanket to use as a bandage. She went to worked wrapping it.

"Because…you're not there…" he admitted as she finished dressing the wound. Annabeth snuggled closer, wrapping her arms around him.

"…Knew you needed me," she mused.

"You know…and this isn't what I really want, but part of me wishes I'd forgotten about you like you forgot about me, when you were sent away," he said, his voice sounding distant at best, apathetic at worst. "You have no idea how hard it's been, to have woken up next to you for those months, and then to not even be able to see you or talk to you. It made me feel…deprived, like I was dying of thirst."

What he was saying quickly dawned on her, and a grin broke onto her face. "Oh? Were you so deprived? Did your sword get dull while I was gone?" she teased, making his face turn the color of ketchup. She laughed and pulled him even closer. She appreciated that he didn't fight back against her quips. It made her feel closer to him, somehow, like they were used to each other's tendencies.

"And then to see you today was just…I couldn't handle it. I'm sorry for, you know, making you look like a helpless damsel, but I just couldn't take it."

"It's alright. I think I would've been fine after a while, but…I'm afraid you would've popped a blood vessel if you had to watch anymore," she tried to lighten the mood, but it didn't work. "Thanks. Always better not have to have to deal with it, you know?"

"Right," Percy agreed, taking a deep breath.

"Jason is kinda pissed, though."

"Jason is always pissed."

"I know, but like, more than usual. At you, specifically."

"Of course he is," the information wasn't surprising.

"I honestly don't get why you two don't get along. I mean, he's even the brother of one of your friends, right?"

" _Our_ friends," he corrected. "And yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like him. He's so stuck-up; it's obnoxious."

"He just doesn't like that you go cowboy all the time."

"Whatever," he said resoundingly, and it was clear that the subject was to be dropped. "I just can't wait for this stupid prophecy to be over. Then things can go back to normal. We'll just go home and have the baby and things will be good."

"You really think it'll be that simple?"

"…Not really. Nothing ever is."

"Yeah, even I've figured that out, and I still don't remember anything," she said.

"…Really don't want to have to deal with the Romans, though…"

"Why not? They're good people."

"Debatable."

"You don't know them," she countered. "Percy, just…give them a chance?"

"…Jason was their chance, Annabeth. Remember the deal? Camp Half-Blood didn't particularly like Jason either."

Annabeth moved away, to look him in the eye. His were only half open. "Then why are we here?" she questioned. "Why didn't we just call everything off once you knew Jason wasn't working out?"

"Because we need to work with them for now," he replied dumbly, too tired to come up with anything better. She met his gaze for a moment, trying to parse through his mind. "Annabeth…I don't know what you want me to say. I don't like them. I'm sorry, but I don't."

She took a deep breath, realizing she was getting too caught up in herself. "It's alright," she said, offering a smile. She leaned back into him. "Let's just try to get some sleep; big day tomorrow."

"Mm," he was already half-way there.

"…" she debated saying what was on her mind. "…Percy?"

"Mm."

"…You're my hero. Don't ever change."

He rubbed his cheek on her head, breathing in her scent, feeling the softness of her hair. "Yours and only yours," he said, not thinking at all.

Annabeth realized then that Percy wasn't there for anyone else, and while that didn't bode well for the others on the ship, it alone was enough to comfort her into sleep.

xxxXXXxxx

 _Percy's dream was of overwhelming power. It wasn't a power of longing that the light provided, but one of his own._

 _It wasn't the first time Percy had experienced an alternate timeline within a dream. It'd happened several times since Luke had showed him literally every single one. Some made him happy. Others made him extremely depressed with how poorly everything actually turned out. This one just put him in a bad mood._

 _Percy suddenly found himself walking alongside Luke, eyes completely golden, indicative of the Titan Lord being the dominant mind. And he felt nothing at this, no desire to bring Luke back from Kronos' control. Either Percy had accepted it, or he'd grown sick of Luke's pathetic honor._

 _The familiar streets of Olympus had crumbled away, with several parts broken off, creating holes into the mortal world below; a massive battle had taken place here. Images flashed through Percy's head, images that should've haunted him. He saw the demigods of Camp Half-Blood crushed, their blood running into the Sound. He saw all of them staring up at him as the light faded from their eyes. Even the mighty Chiron fell before him, all without Kronos' help._

" _ **You've done well,**_ _" Kronos complimented, scythe hanging lazily over his shoulder. "_ _ **I'd never imagined things would go so smoothly.**_ _"_

" _It was only a matter of time before Olympus fell," Percy said, shrugging. "They're nothing without their children. At least you Titans have strength of your own."_

" _ **Indeed. And now, I will take my rightful place as the ruler of the heavens, cast aside this mortal body, and finally vanquish my children, once and for all.**_ _"_

 _Percy nodded. He didn't really care about any of that. He only wanted one more god's blood on his hands._

 _Their children fell without difficulty; Percy was the only child of the Big Three with any training. Thalia Grace was butchered soon after she was released from her tree; it was the Olympian's intention to train her to oppose Percy, but he took her out long before she posed a threat. There were two others, Bianca and Nico di Angelo. Both perished with camp, falling to Percy's might._

 _Many of the Olympians had fallen before him already, after he switched sides at the end of his pointless journey through the Sea of Monsters. Artemis was the first, followed quickly by Apollo. Dionysus fell with Camp Half-Blood and Hades soon after that. The rest had hidden on Olympus, waiting for the Titans to assault them, hoping they could repel the attack._

 _It was a false hope, however._

 _The Titan and demigod walked into the throne room of the Olympians, seeing what was left of their pathetic ranks on their knees, beaten and bloodied. All of Kronos' allies except Krios, who was left with the army on Mount Orthys, stood over them; Atlas, Iapetus, Prometheus, and Hyperion all stood proud, if a bit scared. And they should have been, of both of the people who entered._

 _Percy chuckled, the sound hollow and without satisfaction. "Look at them; still defiant, to the bitter end," he mocked._

" _ **All the better, child,**_ _" Kronos claimed, and Percy would've been lying if he said he didn't agree. The only one who wasn't glaring at them was Poseidon, a god so full of shame that his child was the one who brought such ruin to Olympus._

 _Percy walked up to him, standing over him. "Look at me," Percy ordered. The god didn't, prompting Percy to kick him. "Look at me!" he yelled. Finally, Poseidon raised his head, his look not judgmental, but full of pity instead. "Would you claim me now? Now that I have beaten you?"_

" _I would not, even if it would save Olympus," he claimed resolutely. "You're but a child throwing a tantrum."_

 _A laugh echoed through the throne room. "Maybe," he admitted. "But at least I'm about to get what I want."_

" _ **No. Not until I have my body. Then we shall-**_ _"_

" _Shut up!" Percy snapped. Kronos, reluctantly, obeyed. With this body, he didn't want to get into a direct fight with him. Percy took a labored breath, building up power within him. "…I want you to say it."_

" _What?" Poseidon questioned._

" _Say that you never loved me. Say that I'm worthless. I want to hear it, and then I'm going to kill you."_

"… _This wrath will get you nowhere. You're better than this, my son."_

" _Don't call me your son," Percy warned. "Now say it."_

"… _I did love you. Which is why it pains me_ so much _to see you in this state."_

" _This state?" Percy laughed, though his mood shifted drastically into pure rage. He shot his hand out, feeling his insides twist from the sheer power. Poseidon's body lurched up, bending at an odd angle. He cried out. "I'm more powerful than anybody else in the world."_

 _The other gods, seeing where this was going, rushed to help Poseidon, but Percy shot out his other hand, and they stopped in their tracks, also bending in a strange way. Percy felt their bones begin to snap as he crushed them. Their ichor was dense stuff, so dense that Percy had only just recently learned to control it. Even then, he already felt his heartrate grow rapid, his own blood heavy, as if beginning to bear the weight of the ichor. His brain knew that he could only hold them for so long, but his heart told him to make them suffer more for the life they dealt him._

 _Percy's breathing grew heavy as their limbs began breaking, their insides being twisted inside and out, and their ichor beginning to ooze from their orifices. When their spines started snapping, Percy felt his own body starting to break down, but he just couldn't stop himself._

 _He started laughing, cackling at their misery. It felt so good to finally have this catharsis. He'd thought seeing those sycophantic campers die was bliss, but this…this was heaven._

 _He saved Poseidon for last, seeing his eyes bulge with pain, ears bleeding gold, crying gold, salivating gold. The other gods had long since become negligible, their bodies broken. All it would take was one of the Titans to deliver the killing blows to their hearts. Poseidon he wanted for himself. He didn't want this god to die permanently; he wanted him to resurrect again and again so he could do this again and again._

 _And so, looking his father in the eye, Percy clenched his fist, feeling as if his heart might burst from the strain, and he made the god's own heart explode within him. Right as he felt that oh-so-satisfying popping sound, like a balloon, Percy awoke._

 _xxxXXXxxx_

It was as if Percy blinked, and the dream was over; he was awake, fully awake, like it was a vision. His mind had to do a long mental reset, as it always did when he experienced one of the other timelines, which seemed to bypass the initial grogginess of morning. Riptide usually helped him through this, but he didn't need it this time.

This time, Annabeth was held securely in his arms, her presence quickly familiar again, her breathing a useful constant for him to focus on as his own became frantic trying to adjust to the real world. The first couple of times it happened, Riptide made several Matrix jokes, but they'd long since run stale for them both.

As time passed, as the seconds stretched to minutes, which stretched into hours, the son of Poseidon calmed down. It was around this time that he would go into his morning routine, but if he did that, then he'd wake up Annabeth. Ultimately, he chose to remain there, trying to rid himself of the lingering anger he felt from his dream.

He was unsuccessful in that regard.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason awoke to a feeling of dread. It was for several reasons, but the most immediate of which was the talk. He _needed_ to speak with Percy, to get things straight as they moved forward to Rome, and he would rather do anything than talk to Percy. It wasn't that he expected the conversation to be difficult, as he usually had little trouble speaking to anybody, it was that he knew it was going to turn into an argument, as every conversation turned into with him. And boy was he correct in that assumption.

As Jason approached, the Titan Slayer had a scowl planted firmly on his face, which wasn't a good sign. He was sitting against the wall, Annabeth asleep next to him, both wrapped in a blanket. Jason approached, then mentally looking for a way out of the talk, turned around while awkwardly close to them, muttering about coming back later after Annabeth woke up.

"What do you want?" Percy asked after him, not bothering anymore to try and act cordial with the Roman.

Jason stopped, and turned to address him. "Good morning," he began, not allowing himself to dip into rudeness as he did before. Percy didn't return the greeting. "I, uh, wanted to talk about yesterday, about what you did."

"You mean where I saved our hides?"

"No, where you massacred all of them, against my orders."

"I didn't hear you protest," Percy claimed.

"Then you weren't listening, because I said that we should have run away," Jason heard his voice start to rise, the conversation quickly veering toward a yelling contest. He took a look at Annabeth, still asleep, and tried to take a mental step back. Jason took a deep breath, and then continued. "Look, I think what you did in killing Chrysaor was the right thing to do; I wish you'd done it earlier, and I'm sure you wish you did too, but nonetheless, I'll commend you for that. But afterwards, once they all started running away, there wasn't any reason to keep fighting. You went and you murdered all of them to indulge in your own sick pleasure for combat, against the best course of action for everyone else. I just…I want you to promise me that you won't do that again. We have no idea what we're up against, you know? And we can't know for sure that you can always come out on top like that."

Percy seemed to consider his words for a moment. It was an agonizing wait for his response, and when it came, it felt like Jason should've expected it. Looking Jason in the eye, all that Percy said in response, at first, was a flat, "no."

Jason blinked. "…What? No? What do you mean?"

"I won't promise that, because you don't know what you're talking about."

Another blinked. "…What?"

Being prompted, Percy elaborated in a more articulate way than Jason was expecting. "All things considered, being a child of the Big Three, your life has been a breeze. You don't know the things I know, you haven't felt the things I have in service to the gods. The hardships, the pain, the utter agony I've felt while doing what the gods wanted."

"I know you don't like them. You've made that abundantly clear."

"It goes deeper than that, Jason. I _do_ like them but only because I saw the alternative. The Titans have caused me greater pain than anything the gods could ever do…did anyone ever tell you when I got this scar?" Percy rubbed his neck, and that hideous crack-like line going all the way around. Jason shook his head. "It was a cold winter, I was on a quest to rescue the goddess Artemis from the hands of Atlas. Everything went to hell; your sister betrayed us, only to turn back at the last second, Annabeth and Artemis were in chains, Bianca didn't have her powers and Zoë was being controlled by the Titan and fighting her. We had absolutely no business winning that fight. I didn't win it, to say the least. I went straight for Atlas, some kind of sick hubris fueling me. I wanted to shove it into my father's face that I could beat a Titan, to beat him in Poseidon's name and _finally_ earn his love and respect. But that didn't happen. _I_ was beaten, handily. You know the saying that someone is a paper tiger in the face of a storm? Well, I was the paper tiger, and Atlas was like an extinction-level meteor. I used _everything_ I had and I was still beaten. I can't show you now, but this isn't the only thing I got from Atlas that day. One punch. That was all it took to do me in. He caught me by the neck, not even having the decency to kill me quickly. He crushed my sword arm, ruining my chance to even fight back anymore. And then he punched me, and the fight was over."

Percy paused, collecting himself. He wiped away tears from the memory. "…What's your point?"

"My point is that you don't know what it's like, Jason, to feel totally helpless. Children of the Big Three, like us, I'd say we're allowed time to learn about our powers, about what we're capable of, and we can mess up and feel like shit when we do, sure. I'm sure you've dealt with that before. But it's another thing entirely to be in absolute control, to be the most powerful you've ever been, to use _every ounce_ of strength you have, and it's not even close to being enough. That helplessness is why I can't promise anything to you. If I _can_ do something, then I _will_ do something."

Jason didn't have the words to respond. He needed to think through what the man had said. Unfortunately, it appeared the subject was to be dropped, as this was when Annabeth stirred awake.

"Mmm…" she moaned, snuggling into Percy further. "You're so loud…"

It was odd seeing the son of Poseidon soften so quickly. He seemed like a totally different person was he addressed her. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "But it's time to get up anyway."

That didn't make her very happy. "No," she said simply, taking after her boyfriend in her stubbornness.

"Well, it's only going to get louder up here," he claimed.

"Then take me to bed," she mumbled. Sighing Percy stood and picked her up bridal-style. Without another word, even a look to Jason, Percy left. He truly thought so little of the Roman, to not even bother with a final glance.

Jason tried to not be mad at the lecture he received, but he couldn't help it. Letting himself indulge for just a few minutes, Jason flew up into the clouds and screamed at the top of his lungs, sending literal, powerful shockwaves through the air with his powers. He did this until his throat was raw, and only then did he return, probably looking ragged. Leo and Grover, the only other ones on the deck, didn't comment, figuring it was best to leave him alone.

Good thing too; Jason needed time to cool off even after his fit. With a humorless chuckle, Jason wondered if maybe Percy was right in his assumption that he was only a naïve kid.

xxxXXXxxx

The first thing Gluttony heard from Pride as he appeared was a crack of his neck. "You stiff, son?" the Giant wondered.

The casual addressing of the God of this world would've normally infuriated Pride, but he gave Gluttony a pass; mannerisms were mannerisms, and nothing could change them. "I'm continually amazed at how annoying those gods can be when they want to," Pride said. "How fares things here?"

"Well enough," Gluttony pat the urn at his side, causing some grumbling from the inside, but nothing that they could make out.

"Good, the bait hasn't escaped yet. The heroes will arrive within the day; I expect them to be motivated to continue."

"No worries, son," Gluttony assured. "They'll know what they need to know. But I have to ask; is all this necessary? What's the endgame to this plan? Why not just kill them all now?"

"Because Olympians, without fail, will escape when they're put in chains. Just as a mouse could wriggle from a rope, the chosen two would escape somehow. Even if they might not, it is merely easier to provide a lead into the mouse trap, isn't it?"

"And you're sure that they'll keep following the cheese?"

"I know _every_ move they'll make," Pride claimed. "And by the end of this, they will all be broken. Especially that Titan Slayer," he licked his lips. "It's been so long since I've met a man of such tenacity and vigor. I can't wait to face him in battle, but not yet. Not until he's played his part. Only then can I kill him."

"You mean after our mother walks again?"

"Precisely," Pride grinned. "The threats to that end are thinning, brother. The gods are cowards who refuse to fight me, too busy defending their home from an imaginary attack. With the power of the rainbow goddess, I can fracture their children into two opposing sides. If I don't destroy them myself, they will tear each apart anyway. The few who come to us fall into our traps; when facing you, the son of sky, the dark one, and the speaker shall all fall. The satyr and imp will fall tomorrow as well. The god set to aid them shall perish at the Titan Slayer's hands. The child of wisdom's quest may succeed, but to no avail. Nothing will be able to mend the wound I shall gore into their souls."

"What of the Titan Lord's host?" Gluttony questioned.

"In due time. Should he survive the day, he will succumb to his flaw; pressing onward and perishing trying to close the doors, or will fall trying to return to America with the artifact. Once he perishes, the chosen two will no longer have the manpower to combat us. They were be used to summon our mother, and with her aid, we will rend this word to oblivion."

"Sounds good to me," Gluttony said lazily, picking wax from his hear. "Maybe tone it down a bit, son."

Pride caught his breath and grinned. "Apologies, brother, for the outburst. I've been waiting thousands of years for this, to see the Olympians fall as they were always meant to in this cycle. Ouranos was killed by Kronos, who was killed by Zeus. None of his seed are worthy of the task, and so I shall fill it. And when that happens, all who denied me my right will kneel before their God as He sentences them to death."

"Believe me, son, we're all as eager as you. Well, maybe not Wrath, since he can't even rightly think anymore," Gluttony chuckled, though it sounded hollow, as if he were trying really hard to sound natural. "So, what's with the kid?" he pointed over to the side of the room, where a figure was huddled against the wall, knees pulled relatively close to its chest. "I thought you said all of its memories were gone."

"It's memories, yes, but its tendencies and skills, no. It was an analytical child, taking to writing things down. I swear, if I could have, I would have made a simple machine; it would've allowed for an off-switch.

"Agreed," Gluttony said. "So, what's the plan with it? Or was it just to test yourself."

"Relax, Gluttony; all I do has a purpose," Pride claimed. "It knows what to do, and you will hear of it soon enough. We don't want the bait babbling about it, in case they somehow escape your clutches."

"That is an absolute impossibility."

"That's what's I thought. Now, I will take my leave; the time draws near for the Greeks to fall."

As Pride left, Envy wrote:

"Otis: Gluttony

The Giant made to be Dionysus/Bacchus' bane. Originally was a part of a duo, who attempted to climb to Olympus using piled-up mountains. Ultimately they were the only Giants to be well and truly defeated during the last war, due mostly to the dead twin's incompetence. The one remaining was revived by Pride with all of his strength in-tact, and much more. Cultivated from the powers of Aphrodite/Venus' children, Gluttony can willfully enhance or dampen emotions and thought and rationale, using the strength of his voice. While it has a comparatively low kill-to-day ratio potential, Gluttony can be used for a multitude of subtle planning maneuvers, such as tricking the adversary into fighting the wrong enemy or each other. More dastardly, however, he can enhance any negative emotion one is feeling, including those of anger, disorientation, depression, suicidal thoughts, anything.

Strengths: one-on-one dominance. Even should you get to him, should he not be guarded for a tactical or incompetent reason, Gluttony still retains his Gigantic strength akin to that of roughly two and a half gods, being on the low end of the spectrum of Giant strength from my experiences. Beyond his physical power, he the second-smartest of the seven active Giants under Pride, just behind God himself. It's extremely unlikely that one could out-play him, unless he plans to use your attempt to in fact double play you and that plan within a plan within a plan backfires due to too many variables.

Weaknesses: his nihilism. While he is a great asset to the Giants, he couldn't care less about them or even his own life, hence why he acts so casually to our God. That isn't to say he has no emotion; he takes great pleasure in watching his plans unfold in front of him, as if amazed by the self-realized perpetuation of his own ego; a trait which our God is keenly aware of, hence why he opted to create an urn to house his 'bait' within which she would not be affected by his words.

General personality traits include: ego, nihilistic worldview, tendency to under-exert himself, tendency to question those around him (including me), tendency to hum to himself (likely a manifestation of his ego; the egocentric often like the sound of their own voice).

Suggested strategy of defeat: there is very little planning one can do if the plan is to duel him one-on-one. Even assuming one could match the Giant's power, they would still be wholly ill-prepared mentally to resist his influence. A battle against multiple strong opponents would likely be sufficient to end him; four or five would be enough. Even if he should manipulate one, the other three or four would easily be able to overwhelm him, as his concentration would be split in his attempt to control. An alternate strategy would be to attack him from afar with enough power to instantly kill him, though, to my knowledge, the only beings capable of that are that Protogenoi and demigods wielding their godly parent's godly weapon. Needs further research into likelihood of godly weapons being stolen and used for mass-murder.

Overall chance of being killed during Giant War: 8/10. Given his worldview and position, it's highly unlikely that Gluttony will survive his run-in with the demigod visitors, even if the plan goes well. Whether it does or not, he will die happy, likely with a grin on his face, or he might continue to live as if nothing matters. But if he does that, then I might have to do the job before he can pester me further."

Envy let out a silent sigh, its voice nonexistent, as it closed the notebook and stood to get ready for its part.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading; hopefully you picked up on some of the more nuanced characterization here. If not, the baseline if fine enough for enjoyment. And either way, I hope you had a good time.**

 **A quick warning; if you thought this chapter was long, prepare yourself. Aside from next chapter, the final three, which all four were originally going to be one chapter, and now serve as a four-part finale, are long as fuck. 42 is around 3400 words. 43 is around 4600 words. 44 is around 7000 words. And 45 is a colossal 8520 words! Can you imagine if I kept it all as one chapter? Holy fuck!**

 **Anyway, that was just to generate some hype, because oh my god, it's gonna be epic! We know Pride has a plan to kill basically everyone, so we'll see how successful he is, along with the conclusion to Tempus' story and the Mark quest, and a foreshadowing of Percy and Jason's conflict coming to a head! Oh my god, it was _so_ much fun to write, but I'll get to that in the finale note.**

 **With that, though, sorry for rambling; I'll see you tomorrow!**


	42. Need To Establish

Camp Half-Blood had been quiet ever since the Argo II soared away. The campers did their best to go back to business as usual, but it seemed like a funk had cast itself over them. Winona especially had difficulty sleeping, somehow inherently sensing that something was wrong. She'd tried to Iris-Message Percy or Jason, but none of them went through, which definitely worried her. That meant either they were in an area that Iris can't reach, like Tartarus, or they were dead. This made it doubly stressful when she couldn't reach Bianca either.

She expressed these concerns to Chiron, who tried to calm her down as best he could, though he admitted that they should be weary of what's to come. To prepare, Winona had started taking rounds around the country, looking for anything out of the ordinary. It didn't take her very long to find a Roman force mobilizing. She called a meeting to discuss the next move.

"What does it mean, though?" Drew questioned. "Did they kill everyone?"

"Could they even? Percy and Jason are both crazy strong," Clarisse said. Eyes turned to Chiron.

"It's hard to believe they could, though, admittedly, I haven't been witness to them in nearly 150 years. They could very well have kept pace with you Greeks."

"Winona," Ethan spoke up. "All you've told us is that they're heading our way. How many were there, were they armed? Did it look like a military unit?"

"No doubt about that," she claimed, crossing her arms. "They looked well-armored and armed. My bet is it's a show of dominance; the Roman we got sure liked to flaunt his status to us, after all. Chiron told me that their Mother, a wolf named Lupa, made them accept her ideals of pride, honor, conquering, and dominance. They probably got scared when they heard what we did last summer."

"Let's not jump to any conclusions," Ethan warned. "Remember the deal that both camps partook in; it was made to avoid these assumptions. And remember, we sent over a warship; they might have assumed wrong as well."

"So we should just let them walk all over us?" Winona questioned, with shouts of displeasure coming from a few of the campers present.

Ethan held up his hands and waited for silence. "That's not what I'm saying at all. I think we should give them a chance, but make all necessary preparations. If we need to fight, we need to fight. I can have the rogues ready to defend in twenty minutes, but I think we should attempt to avoid issue if we can. Don't you think enough demigod blood has been spilled from the Titans?"

Some of the others shuffled on their feet, Ethan's words having a power over them. "…Maybe I should go talk to them," Winona offered. "Alone."

"What? No way!" more shouts of disagreement.

"I'm basically a god; they won't kill me," she claimed.

"You say that and yet you still age as a mortal and your mortal soul still wrests for control of your body," Chiron pointed out, giving Winona a sudden interest in her shoes. "You are no god."

"Not now," Winona pleaded. Drew took her hand comfortingly. "Fine, then we'll wait. They get thirty minutes to convince us that they're not here to fight. They do that; then we can talk. Is that a deal?"

"Sounds like a plan," the Stoll's agreed. Soon, the other counselors did so as well.

The wait ended up being a few days. It began normal enough, with Winona returning from her rounds throughout the country. She noticed some of the Pegasi getting all uppity to the west of camp, and Winona soon saw why. The Romans approached the spot. Winona wasn't sure how they knew the exact location, but she was curious about them.

Jason had informed them that Romans always marched to battle in formation; these Romans seemed to just be waltzing through the New York countryside. Winona whistled over the Pegasi, getting them to go back down to the stables for washing, and Winona lowered her own chariot down to meet them.

Reyna had had an eerily quiet trip. Hardly any monsters attacked them, though that might've been expected with such a large group of trained demigods, but more importantly, she didn't see any sign of a Giant anywhere.

"I don't like it," she said aloud from the front, peering over the horizon.

Octavian walked beside her, keeping pace surprisingly well for a man so slight. "I don't know; it seems like a nice location. It's got green grass, nice hills, less pollution-"

"Not what I meant, lad," she said. "Remind me to work your on danger sense when we get back."

Before he could even respond, a bright light exploded from above them, so piercing and sudden that everyone had to look away. When they looked back, they saw an odd sight; a shining golden chariot, led by horses of fire, and steering it was a girl young than Reyna. "Sorry about that," she said. "I take you're the Romans?"

Reyna noticed a certain edge to her voice; she was even more apprehensive about this idea than Octavian. "Yes, we are. I am Reyna, their praetor."

"Mm," the girl looked across the fifty or so teenagers. "Jason said there were more of you," she claimed, to which Reyna put a hand on her hip, already annoyed with this girl.

"And Annabeth warned me of your disrespect," she bit back, which earned her a glare. "This is but a small portion of the Legion. I figured bringing everyone would've been a waste of a good crew."

Winona tensed at that, heat going to her hands as she made to summon her bow. " _Do they underestimate us so?"_ she thought, though she tried to reel things back in. When looking more closely, she saw that no one had their hands on their weapons, even if Reyna was trying way too hard to act calm and casual. "Why are you here?"

"A visit," Reyna answered immediately. "You sent your party to us; now we come to you."

"And where is our party?"

"Perhaps save it so the rest of the Fallen can hear," Octavian spoke up.

"And who're you?"

"My retainer, Octavian," Reyna answered. "Is it not custom to give your name now, lass?"

"…Winona," she said. She looked to want to ask more questions, but instead faced forward. She whipped the reins again, and the chariot flew off, or…exploded…into light. Reyna had to try hard not to look impressed, as Winona was now standing in front of her, being a good few inches shorter than the praetor. "Follow me; I'll take you to camp."

Without waiting for a response, she started walking. Reyna followed close behind, a hand on Tabula Rasa just in case. She didn't know this girl's capabilities, and for all Reyna knew, she was leading them into a trap.

"Isn't this the girl Jason said to go to?" Octavian whispered. Being reminded of that set Reyna's mind partially at ease. "We should try and get on her good side."

Reyna took several deep breaths, repeating her mantra over and over again. " _One of us has to be better,"_ she thought, and eventually, she let her sword hand fall into its natural swing as she walked.

Once they reached camp they were immediately sent into this open-air dining pavilion, where roughly two-hundred campers were gathered for a special meeting. The Romans were forced to stand in a cluster in the corner, as they were already over-crowded without them.

Within a few minutes, a centaur (yes, that's still the Roman term) clopped up to one of the three elevated seats. He raised his hands to call for silence. Already, Reyna liked him; able to command such authority from this man. Little did she know that he had little power of what the campers did and didn't do.

"Today is a momentous day," he claimed. "For over 150 years, there has been a divide in the demigods of this world, so tightly woven that no one had even been aware of it until recently. Roman gods birth Roman children, and these fine heroes you see before you are exactly that," he gestured to Reyna and the First, Third, and Fifth cohorts. The sitting campers gave off some half-hearted applause, with most of them nervously eyeing the fully armed Legion, who, themselves, had their hands on their swords, ready to fling them out. "This is to be a night of celebration."

"Do celebrations need weapons?" one man piped up. When Reyna spotted him, she immediately had to turn away, as an entire cheek seemed to have been cleaved off. Murmurs of agreement soon rose from the Greeks, which soon rose into call for their immediate disarmament. The centaur raised his hands again.

"Peace, friends," he offered a fatherly smile, which Reyna appreciated. It seemed to placate the teenagers enough to quiet them again. "Now, I believe it's high time to let the Romans speak for themselves," he said, offering the floor, so to speak, to any of them.

A couple of the Centurions looked to want to say something, likely something stupid that they thought would be cool and badass and whatnot, but Reyna wasn't very interested in that kind of trite garbage. She stepped forward. As she passed Octavian, he stopped her, bringing her close to whisper.

"What will you say?" he asked, wanting to make sure it wouldn't result in nuclear war.

"We've a need to establish ourselves, lad," she claimed. "Introductions, how we do things; I want to make it clear that we are _just_ as strong as these people act like they are."

"But…we're not," Octavian claimed, gesturing to the many eyes that were on the two of them. Reyna gave them all a side-long glance, seeing a certain edge to their gazes. They weren't out of war-mode yet, it seemed. "Probability-wise, they have been a part of more and larger-scale battles than us."

"Sounds like someone wants to feed the fish," she smirked. The half-threat didn't faze the younger boy.

"Just…try to be cordial. At least until we aren't surrounded in their territory."

Reyna nodded, and straightened herself. She strode in front of the head table, where the centaur had reduced himself to a wheelchair to sit and eat. She looked down on the campers, who stared at her with that same edge as before. With all of them on her, even she found it a little unnerving. It was like she was trying to reason with a pack of hungry wolves.

The daughter of Bellona cleared her throat, and then began. "My name is Reyna; praetor of the Twelfth Legion of Rome and daughter to the goddess Bellona, who is unique to the Roman Pantheon. We've spoken with your allies, the ones who arrived in an airship, and sent them on a quest," she said, though she quickly added, "They were all perfectly willing to go, despite the risks. Their quest takes them to the Ancient Lands. The hope is that at their journey's end, they will find a Roman artifact, one with the power to lift the curse which had caused the schism between Greeks and Romans. I will be blunt with you all; I don't trust you, as I'm sure you all are having difficulty trusting me. But a wise man has warned me: we need to remain allies at all costs, or the streets will run red with innocent blood both Greek _and_ Roman. I'm inclined to agree with him, though we are not allies yet. With any luck, by the time we return to New Rome, we will be. You have my thanks for allowing us to partake in this reunion."

Reyna bowed as she finished, and got minor applause. Inside, she was surprised at herself; normally her speeches don't turn out so well, _especially_ not improvised ones. A part of her was hopeful, that her mother's intelligence was finally rubbing off on her.

Reyna made to speak again, but was stopped, as a blast of water shot across and sprayed the entire pavilion, hot enough to send up clouds of steam. Cries erupted, with some calling to make for their armory, but all movement ceased when they saw a massive hole appear behind the centaur, inside of which slowly formed an image.

"An Iris-Message?" someone called out. "From who?"

"Maybe Percy and the others?"

"Hey, I see Leo!"

But it was soon clear that Leo hadn't intended to send the message, and in fact, he wasn't the one that sent it at all.

The image, now moving and with sound, depicted Leo's faun friend, Grover, backed up against a Celestial Bronze door, saying that, "everything was going to be alright." On the other side was Leo, yelling frantically for someone to "hurry", bashing a window to the door's side with flame-boosted fists, to no avail. On the direct opposite side of the door, a golden light grew steadily brighter, though not enough to cloud who had backed Grover into a corner. Reyna would recognize the image anywhere, having prayed to her statue countless times for countless reasons.

"Lady Bellona!?" Octavian muttered.

"Mother…?"

The Roman goddess moved in for the kill, and Reyna could feel the tension around her spike to dangerous levels.

xxxXXXxxx

"Okay, so what's the play here, Jace?" Grover questioned as he looked out to the pier and into Rome itself.

Jason shook his head, shocked that they even made it this far. He looked to the others. Annabeth was going along with Percy; apparently he was going to smooth things over with whoever was approaching the Argo II from land (since they were illegally docked within the River Tiber and all [Jason could only guess what mortals saw in place of them]), probably babbling about not being allowed to dock there or something. Jason later found out that he manipulated the man using minor control over the Mist, and that Percy didn't kick the crap out of him.

Leo was finishing his…whatever he did, on the controls. Jason guessed he was just making sure nothing would go wrong while he was gone, or checking if his new device worked. Piper and Luke were conversing across the way, looking back out to the sea. Jason would be lying if he said the sight didn't make him a little jealous, that they could speak freely with each other and not have to use some non-verbal workaround.

Jason looked out across the city, thinking. He waited to plan until everyone got back. Then, he started talking. "Okay, so we have three objectives here. First, we need to retrieve whatever artifact the Mark of Athena is leading to. Second, we need to find the location of the Doors of Death. Third, we need to rescue Bianca and find out what this Gluttony can do, maybe try and weaken or defeat him with Lord Bacchus' help."

"The coin is glowing; I can go anytime," Annabeth mentioned. Jason and Percy turned to her simultaneously.

"Not alone," they both said, exchanging a quick glance before turning away.

"Um…why not?"

"Dude, you saw what happened after Fort Sumter," Leo mentioned, to which the others nodded their agreement.

"Yeah, but…guys, come on; I'm not a child."

"Annabeth, we're just worried about you," Percy took her hand, but she yanked it away.

"Well, don't be. I need to do this alone," she insisted.

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Because that's a stupid idea."

"My ideas aren't stupid. I'm a daughter of wisdom."

"So was Tempus and she was scarred for life even _with_ help."

"Yeah, but am I her?"

"That's dodging the question."

"No it's directly addressing the issue."

"Okay, guys," Jason got their attention, making them both turn to him with glares. "We should just take a vote."

"But-" Annabeth started to argue, but Jason was quick to deliberate.

"All in favor of her waiting for assistance?"

"I," said everyone but Annabeth.

"All opposed?"

"Nay times seven to outvote you all," she said petulantly.

"Annabeth, please, just trust us," Percy pleaded.

"But…but…" she struggled to argue, but she was having difficulty finding the words to verbally combat six others, at least two of which she liked, the others she could tell were good people. "Fine, I'll wait…"

"Alright," Jason said, sighing. "That leaves two things to worry about immediately. Leo, where are we with-"

"I've got it narrowed down to a single area; I can narrow it down further once I get there!" he flashed a little screen which had different colored lights blinking at random. "And! To put your mind at ease; I've got flight capabilities back online! We're good to make a fast getaway back to America!"

Jason nodded. "Okay, then that's squared away. Grover, can you go with him?"

"Can do, man," the satyr agreed.

"I'll go too," Luke offered.

"You're sure? Why?" Percy questioned.

Luke leaned toward him to whisper. "Because the kid's out of his league out here," he claimed, to which Percy nodded.

"What?" Leo's gaze shifted between the two of them accusingly. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing," Percy claimed. "That leaves four of us to save Bianca."

"Three of you," Annabeth corrected. Eyes turned to her. "What? I can't risk my neck saving some girl; this artifact could save our camps, right?"

"She makes a fair point," Luke said. "And besides, against a Titan, she wouldn't be much help. No offense."

"I'd be lying if I said 'none taken'," she lowered her eyes at him before addressing the others again. "I'll stay here and see if Tempus' final entry appeared now that we're in Rome."

Jason raised an eyebrow, even as Percy nodded. "Sounds good to me. That leaves us three to take on that Giant," he stated. "Are we leaving now?"

"Actually, Percy, I think you should stay here," Jason spoke up.

"Why?" Annabeth and Percy asked simultaneously, both suspicious for different reasons. And what could Jason say? That he didn't trust Annabeth to stay here like she said she would, unsupervised. That he didn't trust Percy not to mess everything up with the Giant, given his reckless actions against the pirates and before? No, he couldn't say that.

Thankfully, this is when Luke jumped in. "Actually, if you're going up against a Giant, you could really use Percy's help."

"Actually, if you came along, I bet we could take him on ourselves," Percy said to the older man. "Who needs a god to help them?"

Luke's gaze shifted between the two children of the Big Three, and his mind kept repeating the words in his head, " _I could be the glue that holds them together…but jeez, these two couldn't cooperate if a gun was aimed at their heads, or their partner's head at that."_

Still, he figured that they needed to at least try; they _needed_ to work together if this was going to work. "No, I'll pass. I'm going to be avoiding immortals as much as possible on this vacation," he lied, succeeding in sounding casual about it. "And my point still stands."

"Yeah, Jason, you'll need Percy on this one," Annabeth agreed. The son of Jupiter came close to losing himself, to pointing his finger and snapping that she was part of the reason he wanted him to stay, but he didn't.

After knowing what'd happened, he should've argued much further until he got his way. Call it petulant, but with how things turned out, he would've just had all six do each task in turn to minimize the casualties.

"Alright, fine. It's as sound a plan as any, I suppose. I was just thinking-"

"We all know what you were thinking," Percy interrupted. "Now are we going or not?"

Jason frowned, but set his jaw. Leo and Grover had left the conversation before it ended to go prepare. The son of Hephaestus grabbed his tool belt and Grover his crutches, so as to not attract attention. Luke didn't exactly need anything to prepare himself, so he just left along with them, leaving four. Annabeth quickly retreated into her quarters, after a quick kiss and hug with Percy, who promised to be careful. " _Yeah right,"_ Jason thought. He held his tongue, however, as they made their way off the ship and into the streets of Rome.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey all! So this is essentially the start of a four-part finale for MoA, and it's gonna be hype.**

 **For each part after this, I'll be sharing a character song for the features characters of the chapter, so...horray? I doubt many of you care, but I've kept it up this long and it's become a bit of a tradition from The Cruel Spider, so I'll keep it going. The structure for the next chapters is that each one is focusing on one of the three groups that the crew go out to (and Camp Half-Blood in next chapter), so...yeah, that's how that'll work.**

 **I don't expect many reviews because this one is strict setup, but if you have something to say, I'd love to hear it!**


	43. For Far Too Long

Luke and Grover didn't get a whole lot of time to admire the city around them as Leo blitzed them through the streets, following his device with utmost certainty that he was correct. It showed a certain amount of character, Luke though, or naiveté, to be completely certain with oneself. Gods know that Luke lost that after being on the streets for so long.

"Hey," Grover spoke up as he and the demigod walked alongside each other, close at the heels of the son of Hephaestus. "I know I've had plenty of time to say this, and now's kinda late, but…it's been good to be fighting for the same side again, with you, I mean."

Luke smiled. "The feeling's mutual. And just to say it; I'm sorry for whatever damage I caused."

"Mm," Grover mumbled something, which Luke didn't hear. "I can't bring myself to forgive you. I'm sorry, but-"

"It's fine. I can't forgive myself either," he returned. "I'll just do wha it can to make things right, you know?"

"Right. And I mean…I guess I should thank you a little," he said, to which Luke raised his eyebrows. Grover quickly elaborated. "Since you ordered the attack on Camp Half-Blood, Percy was able to kill Daedalus and stop the Labyrinth from changing, which probably saved my butt. So thanks."

"I wouldn't, uh…" Luke had no idea what to say to that, other than a quick, "you're welcome."

"Yeah, thanks!" Leo grinned back at him. "I don't know what I'd do if Grover wasn't there for me."

"Heh, probably just relied on Jason the same way," Luke claimed.

Leo laughed. "Nah, too moody for me. He's a cool guy, reliable, but Grover's chill as hell i.e. my kinda guy."

"You should've seen me when I was first starting out," Grover mentioned, serving around a mortal. "I was so scared I couldn't hardly talk to the kids I was supposed to be protecting."

"Don't I know that feeling," Leo grimaced. "Man, I'm glad this guy didn't see me back then," Leo pointed to Luke. "Can you imagine what he would think of me? Probably like a baby."

"I try to appreciate when people change," Luke said, half-ironically. "And if you've improved as much as you say, then I'd say that's a good thing. The most important of being a hero is overcoming the worst part of yourself."

"Awesome; already got _that_ down!" Leo grinned again, leading them into an alleyway.

"Hey, remember that," Grover insisted. "It's baller advice, Lee."

"And you're lucky you didn't have to learn it the hard way," Luke agreed. "Like Percy did, or when I learned it."

"You mean when you died?" Leo guessed. Grover made a gesture saying to cut it out, but Leo didn't notice. Luke chuckled.

"Heh, yeah, when I died," he said. He'd gotten oddly used to the notion, and now it being brought up didn't really bother him that much. "You're lucky we're in a back alley, or else people would be giving us the weirdest looks."

"What was it like?" Leo ignored the chiding. "Did it hurt? _How_ did you die? Did Percy stab you?"

"He tried, a lot," Luke claimed. They continued back onto a less busy street. "Ultimately I gained control over Kronos, and let my soul fuse with his inside the Heart of Olympus. It killed me, and thus Kronos as well."

"Olympus has a heart?" Leo scrunched his nose. "I bet it smells awful."

"It's not a literal heart; it's a magic fire that predates all of the gods and Titans; it's the source of life and power of all gods. As for whether it hurt; no. It was like being embraced by a warm breeze, like I was being lifted up and into the heavens."

"Cool…" Leo nodded thoughtfully, though Luke couldn't tell whether it was genuine or not.

"Maybe get off the sensitive subjects, Lee," Grover suggested, to which the younger boy nodded and continued leading the way. Not liking the silence, Luke spoke again. "You know, I found a Labyrinth entrance in New Rome."

"Really? Don't they have magical borders?"

"Not really," Luke claimed. "They have the Little Tiber, which is a helluva intruder alarm, but the gods don't really help their Roman children like they do their Greek ones."

Grover shrugged. "Guess it's not surprising; the Greek won the war, and the gods' Roman aspects slowly faded, right? Kinda makes you wonder how they had so many Romans."

"Mostly because of family. A lot of demigods get together and have kids there, resulting in both mixed godly children and many more than would be made by just the gods. So, on average, for every two demigod children that go there or were there, they could make another one, or up to four of whatever they want, for no additional god and mortal relations. That's also why they aren't split in the Legion by their godly parent; about half of their parents are demigods anyway."

"Kinda surprised there wasn't a sense of superiority from kids whose moms and dads were gods?"

"Oh, every group has their assholes. But with Reyna at the helm, they get dealt with right quick, so any incidents are pretty small, and usually end with the aggressor getting beaten up by a few others. The 'few others' aren't punished, but if the guy that got beat up can't perform his duties the next day, he's punished further and further until he's eventually expelled from the Legion. I think that worst case scenario has only ever happened once about ten years ago, from what Reyna told me."

"Oh, so you don't want to rub it in because you'd get your ass kicked," Leo surmised. "And then you would have to deal with it with no sympathy."

"Exactly."

"Man…seems kinda harsh, if you ask me. The guys who beat him up should have gotten some kinda punishment."

Luke shrugged. "It's their Mother's teachings; conquer or die. Or in this case, don't be an asshole, or deal with the consequences. Rome is a culture of absolutes."

"But only the Sith deal in absolutes," Leo joked. Grover leaned in.

"But that, in itself, is an absolute, so the Jedi did it too," he whispered.

"What?!" Before they could all go on a massive tangent about nerdy things, Leo's device started whirring like crazy in his hands. "W-whoa, okay, so we're in the vicinity of the thing. I've scanned for the signature of Thanatos, so if he left the location around here, or a list of locations, we'll find it."

"I'm guessing Thanatos' signature was taken from some super-complicated godly Mist veil DNA screening, right?"

Leo stared at them blankly. "No, I asked my dad for it over Iris-Message before we left Rome. Duh, idiots," he smirked as he hit a few buttons on his device. Luke and Grover gave each other a quick look before following Leo. When going in some directions, it beeped like crazy, but in others, the beeping was a lot slower.

"So I guess every Greek device functions with Hot-n-Cold," Grover muttered as they stopped at a door. "Is this the place?"

"Let's hope," Luke said, moving to open the door.

"Wait, I got this," Leo pushed it open before him, looking around into pitch black. The place smelled solely of dust, which was odd; you'd think someone would come in, since it wasn't locked. "Follow me," he whispered, quietly entering the building.

Grover followed, but Luke hesitated. He couldn't help but remember the words again. "Too eager to prove himself," he muttered. He imagined that Percy, if he were there, would gesture to Leo and make a mocking face, like "who does he think he is?" kinda thing.

Luke took a deep breath, and followed. The inside was quickly lit up by Leo's hand, as it lit ablaze. It revealed that they entered in a narrow hallway, with stairs leading downward. "Whoa, whoa, hold up," Grover stopped the group, pointing at the ground.

"Footprints?" Luke questioned. "Someone got here before us?"

"Well yeah, the Giants have the location too, right?"

"Giants can teleport, as far as I know," Luke said, debunking that theory.

"Maybe some other demigods?" the son of Hephaestus offered, shrugging. Grover put a hand on his shoulder.

"Man, you are too optimistic for this life."

"Hey, what's the worst that could happen?" he returned, continuing forward. At the words, Luke felt a sharp pain behind his eye, and he stopped, feeling leaving his body all of a sudden.

" _No, not again…"_ he thought. When he first came up from the Underworld, when Kronos still hadn't been fully suppressed, he had these attacks on his nervous system. They'd faded quickly, but this one lasted, like the Titan Lord didn't want to go down here at all, that he wanted to turn back.

"Hey, Luke, you aight?" Grover wondered, noticing the man not following them. At that moment, feeling returned, and he lurched forward a bit, catching himself with the wall.

"Yeah, fine," he said, shaking his head to rid himself of the migraine, before following.

After descending far enough, the three emerged into a large room. Once Leo flipped on the lights, it was revealed to be similar to Bunker Nine, back at Camp Half-Blood (though Luke couldn't have made that connection). Blueprints and papers were strewn about at random, notes were left scrawled on the walls, many of them unfinished, like the writer got bored mid-way through his thought. A map of the world was pinned onto the wall, but marked strangely, having multiple overlays beneath it in a folder, with one labelled "Underworld", another labelled, "Labyrinth (so far)". There was even one labelled "Tartarus" but Luke didn't get the chance to look at that one, as Leo called his and Grover's attention to a door, hidden behind a bookshelf, which lay next to a closed window.

"What, does it lead to a fire escape?" Grover questioned as they neared it. Upon getting closer, however, the door's form blurred, into being made of Celestial Bronze.

Luke held a hand out, feeling its smooth, perfect texture. Leo opened the curtains to the window, revealing not a stairwell for escape, but instead another room entirely, with more papers and maps, with one that Luke could see as labelled "D.O.D".

"Found it," the Titan's Lord's host pointed to the paper.

"Hey, I see a weird book there too," Grover mentioned.

"And a lot of other cool stuff," Leo's eyes were nearly lit ablaze themselves he was so excited. "Quick, let's figure out how to get in there!"

"Now, hold on-"

"Ooh, I bet there's a keypad somewhere, or a hidden switch that-" he was interrupted as they heard a rumble, before a part of the wall between the door and window flipped, revealing a number pad. "…Anyone know a code?"

Looks were exchanged between them, and they all gave a resounding "no."

"Alright, time to try everything."

"Wait, hang on," Grover stopped himself. "Let's not waste time; maybe it's around here somewhere."

The three agreed on that, and then Grover and Leo went to opposite sides of the room. Luke, however, stayed at the number pad. He got this odd sense of pull from it, and soon, his thumbs were primed to type. He got this nagging in the back of his head, and then entered four numbers: 7772.

The door opened with a sharp screeching sound as the Celestial Bronze receded into the wall, leaving the open doorway. "Whoa!" Leo and Grover crowded behind him in the wake of the room beyond. "How'd you figure it out?"

"I…don't know. I just kinda came to me…" Luke claimed, though it was a half-lie. He knew that it came from Kronos, the odd sensation of knowing something without actually knowing it had become commonplace with certain aspects of his life. What Luke didn't know was how Kronos had this knowledge and why he chose to relinquish it when Luke happened to need it.

In fact, it made him suspicious. "Grover," he said. "…Stay out here, yeah? It might be a trap."

The satyr agreed without the need for explanation, though he did raise an eyebrow at first. There wasn't any indication that this was a trap, but Luke was hooked on a feeling, so to speak.

But with that, Luke and Leo entered the room, and Luke quickly found a light fixture to turn on, and Leo lit a candle on the desk on the far end of the room soon after. More papers, more maps.

"Whoa…" Leo could hardly believe it. "So, apparently this place like…a last resort for Death. He had the kids of Athena and Hephaestus build it, right? And then he put down all the information necessary for them to find and keep safe the Doors of Death, in case something happened to him."

"Betcha he didn't remake it in America," Grover mentioned, snickering.

"Too bad, too, because we could've used this earlier," Luke said. "And what about the rest of this stuff?"

"Well, knowing my bros and sisters, they wouldn't just use this place for a single thing. It probably developed into a workshop…or a war room…or something."

Grover nodded. "So, you've got the location?"

"Yeah, hang on," Leo made to move toward the paper which had "D.O.D." written on it. "…Anyone know where a…Necromanteion is?"

"The Necronomicon?"

"No, like…whatever, hang on," Leo snatched the paper and stuffed it in his pocket without a thought, garnering odd looks from the others. "What?"

"That's a three thousand year old primary source, you know," Luke mentioned, to which Leo merely shrugged and continued exploring. "Anyway, about this Necromanteion, I _think_ I've heard of it, but I'm not sure."

"Yeah, it does sound familiar," Grover agreed. "But…I definitely don't think it's in America," he said.

"Yeah, that's that I'm thinking."

"Ooh!" Leo gushed. "Guys, look!" he grabbed a cloth, which was veiling something, and removed it.

"It looks…um…"

It looked like a smaller version of those plasma ball toys. A small sphere on a pedestal, with a glowing blue center which seemed to radiate pure energy. Leo looked at the papers beside it. "Whoa…okay, guys, this is a…okay, let's see…"

"Can you even read that?"

"It's Greek, of _course_ I can!" Leo snapped, getting really into the document. "…It's a power amplifier," he concluded. "It can convert any source of energy into its own unique form, and then release it as the original type of energy, but like more of it. Or something."

"Or something?"

"Whatever; let's take it!"

Luke's mental alarms started going off. "No, wait!" he exclaimed, but it was too late. As soon as Leo's hands were on it, the door shut. "Shit!" Luke rushed to it and bashed his fist against it, to no avail. "Damnit!"

Leo stuffed the power amplifier in his pocket along with the map. "Oh crap, I didn't think-"

"Yeah, you _didn't_ think," Luke snapped, though the wasn't sure where this sudden anger came from. Leo recoiled from the biting comment. "…Never mind, let's just try and find a way out of here."

"Uh, guys…" Grover, still on the other side, pointed to the doorway that led to the room, the one where they came in. Standing before him was a woman, boasting impressively ornate Roman-looking armor. Luke recognized her; Bellona, Roman goddess of war. Her statue had been displayed all over New Rome.

Upon seeing her, Luke's heart started pounding, and not in the sense that he was excited or frightened. It was painful, with it feeling as if it might burst from his chest at any moment. He gripped his shirt, pressing into his chest, struggling to breathe. The pain quickly expanded out to encompass his whole body.

Leo didn't notice, being too preoccupied with the new face. "Who the hell is she? Why is she armed?" he couldn't hide the panic in his voice, which only escalated as she approached the satyr, walking slowly, as if relishing the fear she instilled into them. "Quick, Grover, punch in the code!"

"What is it?!" Grover questioned. Luke heard that bit, and struggled out the numbers, through his pain. "It's not working!"

"What?!" Leo yelled. "Hey, hey, don't hurt him or I'll kick your ass! Hey! You hear me?!"

His threat fell on deaf ears, as the goddess' eyes held fast onto Grover. "The Greeks care much for you, yes?" she wondered, her voice having an audible edge, but also a kind of moroseness.

"Shit!" Grover backed himself against the doorway, knowing that if he tried to run, then she'd either quickly catch him, or turn on Luke and Leo. And that was something he couldn't condone. Too sudden and brief was the situation for him to logically figure that she would likely just move onto them after finishing with him. For Grover, even delaying their death or injury was a victory as their protector. "Hey, listen to me, Lee, you need to calm down. Alright, everything is going be okay, just listen."

None of them noticed an Iris Message beginning to form without call behind Bellona.

"We need to get over there!" Leo cried, building up power and unleashing it all in boosted punches to the glass, but it wouldn't even crack, let alone break, no matter how much oomph he put into his hits. "Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!"

Luke stood, forcing himself to move. His pain had only grown more agonizing as Bellona drew closer, the presence of an immortal seeming to trigger Kronos to cause trouble. But right now, he needed Kronos' power.

He went behind the door, and felt the Titanic energy compound within him, as his body began to glow.

xxxXXXxxx

Reyna could only watch on the horrific scene played out over Iris-Message. Bellona slowly approached Grover, the unsung hero of Camp Half-Blood, who led the spirits of nature to save them after they'd expended everything they could. He was who many argued was the truest hero of them all.

And here he was, helpless. "You Greeks have basked in the light of your Greek gods for far too long," Bellona said. "Now, starting here, the Romans shall overcome."

"Hurry! Grover, move!" Leo cried.

But Grover didn't move, too paralyzed with fear and the desire to separate this threat from those he was protecting. He craned his neck to look at Leo, offering as good a smile as he could possibly muster. "Listen to me. Okay, it's alright. It's alright."

Tears began streaming down Leo's face as he shook his head, the true gravity of the situation dawning on him all over again.

"You've been the best friend I could ask for, Leo," Grover said hastily, trying to get the words in before his inevitable fate took him. "I'll never forget you, even after, even…" Grover choked up a bit, and by then it was too late.

Bellona thrust her sword forward, straight into the satyr's heart. Within a few seconds, the light had left his eyes, and his form disintegrated into a small mound of dirt, along with a flower planted within it. Leo's screams coincided with whoever was behind the door, the former of horror, the latter of exertion.

The door was blasted open with a burst of golden light, and in the doorway lay a man in shining golden armor, wielding a massive scythe.

"Is that Luke?!"

"Kronos!"

"Which is it?!"

Luke didn't even move a muscle, instead being beaten to the punch by Leo. In a fit of rage, Leo charged through the doorway, flames white hot with rage, and leapt toward Bellona without thinking. He shot his fist toward the goddess, but never made contact, as he was pulled back.

Leo felt pain, and shock, and helplessness at the same time. Luke had pulled him back, saving his life. He didn't get to Leo in time to save him entirely. Bellona had slashed upwards to parry Leo's attack, and succeeded in severing his right arm at the shoulder. Had Luke not saved Leo, the blow would've simply cut him in half from its force. The son of Hepheastus' body wouldn't move, both from the emotional shock of losing his friend, and the physical shock of losing his arm. He stared up at the ceiling, eyeing not even able to focus on the man who'd saved him.

Bellona hesitated before following up, as Luke stood briefly, opening his eyes and letting them flash with power. They were pure gold, radiating with Titanic power. Luke spoke, but the voice wasn't his. " **Your mangled blood is not worthy to spill by my hand,** " Kronos' cool, calculated voice rang throughout the room, freezing Bellona in her tracks. She physically stopped, paralyzed from Kronos' very presence. Without another word, and in the span of less than a second, Kronos had grabbed both Leo and the flower and left. And within another few seconds, the Iris Message ended.

Reyna was in shock, as were the rest of those present. Her gaze went from where the message just was, to the Greeks still trying to digest what they saw. When they did, there would be a storm. Reyna quickly retreat, _retreated_ , back to her Legion. Winona stood first, her resting glare having deepened. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" she demanded.

"We're-"

"Quick, catch the before they try to escape!" Clarisse yelled, to which several campers stood to achieve that end. The Romans drew their weapons to ward them off, but Winona summoned her bow and knocked a dozen arrows in response. Thus, they came to a standstill. "You murderous traitors! You'll pay in blood!"

"We don't know what just happened either!" Reyna pleaded, with agreement rising from her Legion.

"That was _your_ god, right? She said the Romans would takeover!" another boy claimed, causing more Greeks to stand to fight.

"I'll be damned if I let that happen!" Winona growled. "And you allowed Kronos to travel with them too?!"

"That-"

"Enough!" Chiron roared over the commotion. Silence enveloped the pavilion, as everyone waited for him to speak. He let out a heavy sigh, his face forlorn, stained with wrinkles and a frown. "It seems the bonds can never be mended between us," he concluded. "If even the Roman gods are against us…"

" _Not him too! They're untrustworthy wenches, the lot of them!"_ Reyna thought, gritting her teeth. "If you're so easily swayed and clearly tricked, then fine! Maybe you deserve to be swept aside!"

"We know what we saw!" Clarisse snapped. "Winona, if you can keep them here, then the rest of us can make for the armory."

"I won't need the rest of you," the younger girl said, her voice low and threatening as more arrows magically knocked themselves in her bowstring.

"Go ahead and try! You can't kill all of us!" Reyna challenged, but Octavian held his hands up.

"Stop!" he called. "Please, she doesn't mean that!"

"Yes I-" she was about to say something else that was stupid, only she was pushed back by Octavian.

"Did you forget why we came here? What did Jason say?" he questioned. Upon remembering the son of Jupiter's warning, Reyna once again thanked the gods for providing her with such a good retainer. He turned back to the others. "Please, let's try and work this out. Here, we'll give up our weapons and-"

"What?!" Reyna snapped, with similar reactions from the rest of the Legion.

"There's no need," Chiron claimed. "…these transgressions will not go unpunished. Leave, now. When next we meet, it will be in war. You had best prepare yourselves."

Even with a lot of disagreement among the Greeks, the Romans were kindly kicked out of camp with a deadline of two days, which is when they would attack.

Chiron, Clarisse, Ethan, and Winona made for the Big House, but didn't make it far. As this was when the true threat arrived. Before anyone had even left the dining pavilion, he appeared before them.

"You demigods have only grown more pathetic over the millennia, haven't you?" the man wondered. Chiron tensed, already knowing that they had lost the fight before even engaging in it.

"Porphyrion," Chiron said his name like poison.

"Actually, it's Pride now," the Giant corrected. "And I must say, I'm impressed. It's not easily that you'd admit to a war, old goat," he mocked the centaur.

"What must be done must be done," was all he said, stuck in his wheelchair. If he tried to make a move to assume his true form, either he or several other campers would perish.

"You were watching?" Winona questioned.

"I was, godling. And it was so very entertaining to see the hope drain from all of your eyes."

"What do you want?"

"What I want for you all to perish, but I'm willing to be reasonable," he pointed to Winona. "I want this one. The rest may stay and fight your war."

Eyes turned to Winona, as he panic started to rise. Did he know about her condition? He must have, if he singled her out. "No way!" Clarisse exclaimed. "There's no way you could take all of us!"

Winona wasn't so sure, and Chiron seemed to agree. "Wait…"

Silence crept into the pavilion again as both Winona and Chiron considered. They weren't allowed time to convene and discuss. It was Winona or everyone. That was his ultimatum, and both of them could tell that he wouldn't have much difficulty kill everyone.

"Okay, I'll go," the daughter of Apollo nodded, and made her way to the Giant. He smiled, with it being surprisingly pleasant. She was expecting a devilish grin, but instead what she found was amiable, at best. "Where? Why?"

"To where I say, because I say. Soon, you shall kneel before you God, just as they all will."

"You will not lay a hand on her, snake," a new voice appeared, as well as several new presences.

Winona was shoved back, though she couldn't tell who did it, as Pride was blasted back. He remained on his feet, and didn't look injured as several people appeared between him and the campers.

"No way…"

The campers were in awe as they saw several of their godly parents standing, forming a wall of defense, including all those who guard Olympus; Athena, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, and Artemis. Zeus stood in their center, holding his mighty lightning bolt. "You will not touch these mortals, Porphyrion," he claimed, voice booming across the valley.

Pride grinned. "I will do what I please, old man," Pride's powers exerted themselves, sending all manner of elemental energy around him, from water to earth, to shadow, to light, to fire. The only thing that was missing was lightning. "You are all fools for challenging me here. With these mortals around, you cannot exert your full power, while I can use all I care to of mine."

Zeus glared at the Giant. "For far too long have we gods hid away on our thrones as our children bled and died for us. I would no longer adhere to such cowardice; that neglect is exactly what has allowed you to live on and become so arrogant as to believe yourself the one true God."

"Tch, you speak highly, undeservedly high at that," Pride readied himself. "And you may call me arrogant as you wish, but know this: by the end of this, you will only be able to kneel before me."

With that, Pride charged, with the gods meeting him head-on in a clash of immortals.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Second of four!**

 **Short note today because I'm playing Persona 3 and I'm trying to romance Mitsuru...don't ask.**

 **Character songs:**

 **Luke: Brand New World by Nishizawa Shiena (references to time passing and overcoming adversity, unfortunately tied to a terrible show)**

 **Grover: Courage by** **Tomatsu Haruka (dude needs some courage to go through what he does)**

 **Leo: Peace Sign by Kenshi Yonezu (awesome song, recommend cover by Natewantstobattle for a "Leo version". Ironic since the cover by Jubyphonic can easily match Percy from The Cruel Spider imo)**

 **Done and done, see you tomorrow!**

 **Also, fuck Grover fans lol (not really)**


	44. Yours And Mine

Annabeth wasn't lying. She just didn't tell the whole truth. She wasn't going with anyone to check if Tempus was trying to reach her, and she wasn't going to save Bianca because she knew this artifact was to play a pivotal role in how this all played. She just fibbed about staying put. And technically, she said she'd wait. She was just waiting for them all to leave.

Okay, fine, she's a shitty person for lying to her friends, but there was more on the line than her pride. If she couldn't do this, then what good was she? This was her entire purpose in this Giant business, the only thing she needed to do. She should be able to do it alone.

And not only that, but Tempus had urged her to do so. That the victory isn't worth anything if she couldn't achieve it by herself. Annabeth was willing to put her neck on the line for Tempus' sake.

After double checking the notebook to see if a new entry had appeared, which it didn't, Annabeth began her search with her coin at the ready. Thankfully, she was able to move freely, easily blending in with the crowd if chance put her and one of the other groups on the same path. The glow was more intense than usual, making it difficult when in the glaring sunlight, despite the cold, to discern when it was brighter or dimmer.

Eventually, the Mark led her to a back alley, and then to another, ultimately leading to a doorway to the underground, facing southwest, by Annabeth's estimate. Without hesitation, Annabeth delved into the dusty stairwell.

She descended for what felt like hours, and felt some strange pulling and pushing sensation all over her body as she did. She couldn't see any distortions in the air around her; it was like she was being hit by silent sound waves. Still, she continued stepping down, until the stairway simply ended. There wasn't a door leading anywhere, just the wall. The daughter of Athena felt around, looking for some kind of clue, eventually finding a small, hardly noticeable indentation, in the shape of circle. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it wanted the coin. "I guess…this is it…" she muttered to herself, as she inserted the coinage into the slot. It took immediately, sinking further in than she pushed, and before her eyes, a door blurred into existence. Simultaneously, it felt like more silent sound waves directed themselves at her head. She entered the door, and found herself in a massive cavern of a room, standing on a small outcropping.

The room itself was impossibly large, filled with gears and cogs, like she was on the inside of a clock, only some of the pieces were missing, so some gears just hung on the sides and there were unused axels and stuff like that. Annabeth's foot hit something on the edge, and she realized she almost kicked off a box. When opened, it revealed a length of string and a letter. It read: "You know what happened last time you fell."

In instinct, Annabeth looked over the edge, and had to gasp for breath. Beneath her was bright light. As her eyes adjusted, having been in relative dark for a while, she saw that she was hovering over Rome. "Another illusion?" was her immediately thought, standing and feeling around, trying to convince her brain that this wasn't real. But she couldn't. No matter how many times she blinked or pinched herself, the image of staring down at Rome from a bird's-eye view wouldn't go away.

Annabeth felt her heartrate accelerate, and she knew she needed to calm down if she was going to figure this out. She took out Tempus' notebook from the bag she'd brought with her, seeing writing appear, just like she said it would upon Annabeth entering the final trial.

"To the child of wisdom,

If you're reading this, then that means you made it past what I consider to be the part most likely to break you. Or, second most like, I should say. You're likely in a large room underground, with the city beneath you, right? If you can read that, then that means that the trial no longer cares whether or not I reveal to you their nature. With these, it doesn't matter if you know what to do. It's doing it that's the difficult part.

This final entry will fill in as you descend further into the darkness of the underground. At the end, _before_ you enter the final chamber, will be my last word to you. Note "before," please. It would have been a massive waste of time to write all of this and trick one of my closest friends just to have you screw it up at the end.

In any case, I have little faith that you will survive even this first part, given how difficult it was for me and my fellow praetor, Zack. The man was an unusually strong child of Vulcan, able to wield fire at will. He could even play at flying, able to keep himself aloft and propel himself so long as he could sustain the fire. That ability played a major role in us getting through this room.

Now then, you can't see it, as a gear is blocking your view, but, facing outward from the doorway, at your one o' clock is another outcropping, about a hundred feet below your current altitude. The string in the box on your alcove is unbreakable, and acts as a super-strong adhesive, able to stick to whatever you throw at it. As an aside, I wonder if Stan Lee was a child of Athena and tried this; it might explain why he's so…kooky.

Now then, I'll leave you to your probable death. Should you succeed, I'll be waiting for the next trial.

From Your Fellow Child of Wisdom"

Annabeth put away the notebook after scanning the entry a few more times, committing it to memory.

She took another look down, not even wanting to think about what would happen if she fell. A sick part of her thought that the point was actually _to_ fall, to prove in some sense that's overcome the fear.

But no. That wouldn't make sense, as taking the initial leap in addition to having a complicated, taxing acrobatic challenge with that fear nagging away was a much better test to see if she'd overcome it.

And thus, she knew she needed to take the plunge. " _But wait_ ," she thought. " _Let's be smart about this."_

Taking the string, and wrapping a coil or two around her palm, Annabeth stuck the other end to the alcove she was standing on. When she tugged, sure enough, it stuck. Curious, she willed it to release, and then it did.

"So it's like my beanie," she thought aloud, pulling at the hat, catching a quick glimpse of the "PxA" etched inside. Annabeth quick hid that part, the thought of Percy knowing what she was doing just being too cloudy in her thoughts. She needed to focus.

After reattaching the string to the alcove, seeing it stick, she slowly hung off the edge of the way. Carefully and incrementally adding weight to the string, she was surprised to find that it held her flawlessly, even after she left her whole weight on it. Somewhat relieved, Annabeth began slowly lowering herself down, careful to avoid looking downward, until there wasn't any more give in the string.

She looked behind her, seeing a cog that she could probably find a handhold in, and then kicked off. On her first push, she didn't gain nearly enough height, but it was more a test of the string. On her second, Annabeth began reaching for it. On her third, she grazed it, and on her fourth, pushing with all of her might, she managed to find a handhold and gripped it like her life depended on it.

Willing the string to let go, she felt it give, and then grabbed another handhold with her free hand, quickly getting her footing as well. She climbed until she could stand, and that's when things started to go wrong. The cog wasn't exactly stable. It was most so when applied force toward where Annabeth came from, like it was wedged in that direction. But the way she needed to go, to an axel on her right, was weakest. "Figures," she muttered, coiling the rest of the string around her hand for later use. Trying to take thing slowly at first, Annabeth inched toward the edge of the cog, getting ready for the jump. She had to make the jump, because her prior strategy of kicking off would result in her being dragged into the abyss below along with a broken cog.

She gave up on doing it slowly after the cog rumbled from her shifting weight. She quickly backed up a few paces, and then dashed with all of her might. Within her second step, the thing started falling, and she had to push doubly hard on her jump to make up for the lost height. With the sound of screeching metal behind her, Annabeth crashed into the axel, which wasn't stable in the slightest.

It immediately broke from wherever it was attached, hanging from the opposite end of where Annabeth was, meaning she had to climb. Slowly again, she did so like one would do the rope climb at the gym. Blankly, she noticed scorch marks on some of the metal surface and the rock wall to her right.

By the time she reached the top, the axel had all but fallen. In fact, as she kicked off to the next gear, the axel fell into the abyss. Annabeth wanted to listen for a thud of it hitting a bottom, but her heart raced as she realized she was just barely going to make it to the gear.

Her finger slatched into a rivet, pain shooting into them as they support all of her weight, feeling as if each one was popping out individually. They were all that separated her and an early death. Annabeth tugged, but couldn't lift herself up. In fact, as she did so, the gear came loose, and started spinning. Annabeth's weight pulled it down toward her, and she swung to its bottom and further because of the momentum, before swinging back and forth like a pendulum until she stopped in the middle.

Her hands strained to retain her grip. She didn't have the luxury of attaching the string in this position, and she couldn't hope to climb up. She saw another gear that she could've jumped to had she been on top of the one she was at now, and a little further past that, below her, Annabeth saw the exit alcove.

She then made the mistake of looking down, and a vision shoved itself into her head, of all of her friends flattened after falling from the heavens. The shock of the image nearly brought with it the initial shock after leaving that hallucination before, at Fort Sumter. Thankfully, after several deep breaths, Annabeth regained herself.

Groaning as she willed her body to move, the daughter of Athena started swinging. What she was about to try was almost sure to fail, but it was better than just giving up. Her grip would't last for much longer, so this was the best plan she could come up with. She swung and swung, gaining more momentum each time, until she was coming up to the three o' clock of the gear, with the resting base position she was in being at six.

After steeling her nerves, Annabeth let go toward the next gear, knowing she wouldn't make the jump. She was too low, and so she began falling.

Acting fast, Annabeth threw the end of the string toward the gear, willing it to latch onto something. By some miracle, it did, but the gear loosened in much the same way that the prior one did. The string tightened as it reached the end of its length, and jerked on Annabeth's wrist in the process.

She let out a cry as pain seared up her arm. On instinct, she gripped what was essentially a rope with her other hand, swinging toward the alcove. She let go when she thought she could make it, having to fall a considerable distance to do so. When she landed, another bout of pain seared up her leg, though it was much milder than the agony in her wrist.

Annabeth wanted to land gracefully, but instead she flopped and skidded across the floor like she was drunk, stifling back screams of pain and her two new broken/cracked/sprained joints. Tears threatened to fall as she lifted her arm, seeing the wrist bent at a wrong angle, swelling already. Closing her eyes, Annabeth grabbed her wrist and tugged, jerking it back into place as best she could. Another stifled cry.

Then she looked at her leg, seeing it cut up from her fall. The foot she landed on was also bent weird, and she set that as well, though this was much harder as it took both of her hands to do so. After a couple of minutes of coping, Annabeth took several deep breaths and wiped away the tears that had fallen from her face. She pushed herself against the wall, looking back at the massive room, and no longer seeing Rome beneath her, as if the illusion gave up upon her reaching the end.

On her first attempt to stand, she found that she didn't have the strength. Not only was she exhausted from even that brief excursion, like the trial was sapping her strength, but the injury in her leg didn't help. She unsheathed her dagger, Trident. She looked at her reflection in the blade, seeing her face strained and ragged, hair disheveled.

She flipped the dagger over, seeing the etching. Evermore onward, her promise to Percy. What it meant originally, she didn't know, but she took it now to give her the strength to stand. " _Keep moving,"_ she thought to herself. " _You can't give up. You have everyone's lives on the line."_

And so, she ventured further. The pain in her foot still gnawed at her like a hunger, begging for rest, but she pressed on. She took out Tempus' notebook, seeing a new entry. She waited to read it until she reached the next trial. This one was interesting.

She was on the edge of a cliff face, with no other side, so she couldn't call it a canyon. To her right within the corridor was some kind of wing set, like an ancient paraglider. Written on it was a bit of instruction: "Now you will fly and prove yourself a true owl. However, true wisdom often seems backwards, coming in from behind, from a source unexpected."

Annabeth brushed hair from her face, confused. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Stupidity comes first, then smarts?"

Frustrated and not having the time to figure it out on her own, Annabeth opened the notebook and read.

"To the child of wisdom,

It seems you've survived the initial acrobatic gauntlet, to which I'll commend you. You have already proven yourself more capable, or perhaps more daring, than I ever was on my journey. Assuming, of course, that you're alone. But I ultimately leave that decision to you. A bit late for that, I suppose.

In any case, you have two more trials to go. The first is a final test on the fear the Fort Sumter test instilled, that of falling and of heights. If the initial acrobatic gauntlet is to overcome the fear, then this is a test to show you've completely mastered it.

I will tell you now; you need to glide downward using the contraption, assuming it magically replenished as I assume it did (you'll notice there's only one, the same number there was when I came through, meaning it replenished itself). You'll find another entrance directly below you. Should you try to simply fall, I expect you'll be met with a swift end. You must do what they want.

About the writing on the device, I can only assume it to be a riddle, though I ultimately jumped before I bothered figuring it out. Call it a Roman-ism, but I learn best from experience, and solved it through acting it out, so to speak. In hindsight, it isn't wrong. And perhaps it was an early warning that my way wasn't the correct way, as I jumped, acting impulsively and irrationally, before thinking things through.

Or it could be a prelude to this notebook. Help comes from unexpected places, and here I am, a longtime enemy of Greece, a Roman, aiding you. Or trying to, I suppose. Or perhaps if could mean that you were to teach me. That Rome should have learned from its past self in Greece; that yours was perhaps the better way. It would explain why our parents no longer speak to us: we've failed to learn that lesson all of this time.

But enough posturing.

I struggle to give more advice, and for that, I apologize. You must be the one who takes a leap of faith.

Your fellow child of wisdom"

Annabeth closed the notebook, taking a deep breath. The entry wasn't much help, but it did help to calm her nerves. This was the second-to-last trial before this was over. She could return to Camp Jupiter.

Annabeth closed her eyes. " _Or that other camp that_ was _my home,"_ she thought, feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Images of that Greek camp flashed in her mind, but she couldn't place a name to any of the views she saw. But when she saw one of a little cabin on the water, she knew that that was home.

With that image burned into her head, she took a step closer to it. She grabbed the glider, latched herself in, and walked off the side. The glider caught the wind well, for an ancient piece of tech. She initially dove, trying to descend as quickly as possible, but soon found herself going sideways, straight into the wall. Desperate, Annabeth veered right by tugging with her good hand, and felt a kind of dead wind in her face as she flew. She could almost get used to this.

To her side was the new entrance; she'd descended far enough in her initial dive. But if she missed by even a little bit at this speed…She also might not have another shot like this, as the glider wouldn't maintain altitude for long. Eventually, Annabeth decided to take her chances. She veered right again, straight for the new hole, and narrowly made it in.

As soon as she entered, the glider caught on the wall and shot her out through the front, like she was in a head-on car collision going through the front windshield. She landed hard, again. At least this time, she didn't injure any specific body part. She just flopped and then skidded along the ground, cutting in the arm that was on the ground and likely to make her shoulder and back ache later.

Actually, scratch later; it hurt like a mother now, so much so that she was once again finding it difficult to stand. Still, she did, groaning as she did so, and then continued onward, though her pain was great enough that she had to quickly stop and lean against the wall. She'd gripped the glider too hard with her bad hand, likely injuring it further from the strain and vibrations of flight, and her body was already battered enough without the major injuries.

She took out Tempus' notebook, remembering that she said to check it before she neared the final trial, and sure enough, a new entry appeared.

"To the child of wisdom,

It seems we've reached the end of the line, and it's time for me to reveal how everything happened. Though it would be difficult to describe. Instead I will show you, and with that it's time for me to elaborate on my earlier mention of Hecate and why it's important.

Children of wisdom have the ability to share memories, and can imbue certain objects with certain memories (in which case the memory will be experienced in third-person) in addition to simply sharing through physical touch (in which case the memory will be experienced in first-person, as if they were actually there acting it out). The purpose for this is obvious; what better way to teach than to let the learner experience something close to what they want to achieve before they have to physically do so. It's another form of communication, first touch, then speech, then writing, and now this; direct memory linking."

Annabeth had to turn the page.

"Touch this page to learn."

And that was exactly what she did.

xxxXXXxxx

 _The experience was like nothing Annabeth had been through before. She didn't get images of the memory, nor did it all come to her instantly. She was transported to the memory itself, experiencing it in real time._

 _At first, it was difficult to discern that she was inside the memory, as she was in the exact same hallway that she just was. It was only when Tempus started speaking did she figure it out and begin walking._

" _Through difficulties to honors," Tempus said, almost like a presence in Annabeth's mind who was simultaneously there for her own comfort and to raid her brain; both sympathetic and hostile. "That was all that got me through the journey. Through every night with Chrysaor, through every day travelling through monster-infested land. I knew, somehow, that I'd make it through."_

 _Annabeth continued walking, somehow knowing that she was ahead. Tempus' words appeared in her vision, like she was still reading the notebook, the words floating in front of her, the words and Tempus' voice growing more somber with every statement and explanation._

" _Zack and the others had said I acted differently after Fort Sumter, but I didn't notice. Maybe he ended up being right. After the first trial, I began having such strange thoughts…like, was any of this for real…or not?"_

 _As Annabeth continued, she saw writing scrawled onto the wall, confusing the daughter of Athena's head with the words that Tempus was making appear; a multitude of Roman proverbs, like wards to drive back whatever evil lay ahead. The last one Annabeth saw was the one Tempus told Reyna: there is clarity in despair, signed by Nero himself, who must've come through here._

" _I no longer care what happened. That's what I decided. I wasn't going to forget it, and how could I, but I wouldn't let it destroy me from the inside. I may never be the same, but that doesn't mean I can't still do some good in the world. I don't know, in the end, whether that decision was out of determination or hopelessness, whether it was my own hubris and defiance rearing its ugly head, or whether I figured whatever pain that doing good causes can't possibly contend with what I've gone through following the Mark. Or rather, what we've gone through. Looking back, I regard my journey with such apathy, disgusted at the frail little girl for giving in each night to the pirate, for begging for the gods' help through very little stumble. I wonder if you feel the same, as you read about my journey and comparing it to your own."_

 _The words hit Annabeth like a truck._ "No," _she thought. "_ I care. Gods, but I care and wish I could've met you and helped you."

" _I feel like…that journey is a blur. It's both a far-off memory, and a fuzzy dream. But…every time I remember it, I don't see myself, not anymore. I wonder if I'm seeing you? You're so strong, so brave…I wish I could be half of what you are…I wish I could've met you. But the thought of ever going to the Ancient Lands again renders my apathy null, leaving that resounding fear. But it does make me wonder where I fit in with all of this…"_

 _Annabeth saw two figures ahead, standing side-by-side. When she came up, she saw one with platinum blonde hair tied in a messy ponytail, Tempus, and another with short brown hair, who must've been Zack._

 _The girl's gaze shifted, from Zack, straight to Annabeth. It was impossible, but Tempus smiled at her. "I want to line the pieces up. Yours…and mine…"_

 _Tempus' face blurred back to pay attention to Zack, her face contorted into a glare. "What? You're saying you just want to give up?" she questioned, her voice much rougher than the one she took with her journal. "Look in there! That's the end! Five more paces and we're finished!"_

" _Can't you feel what's in there?" Zack returned, his voice higher than Annabeth was expecting. "Whatever it is, I don't want any damn thing to do with it. This wasn't meant for us."_

" _You don't know that!" she rushed forward, grabbing him by his shirt collar and shoving him against the wall. "The Sibylline Book gave me this prophecy; this_ has _to be it!"_

 _Zack stared at her, shocked at her outburst. "You've changed, Tammy. You were never this…obsessed. I'm sorry, but I can't go through with this. Whatever is in there…it's evil, pure evil, and I want none of it."_

 _Tempus took in a sharp breath, seeing his decision as final. Her eyes lowered into another glare. "You're right…this_ wasn't _meant for you. You lack ambition; you always have!" she spat, letting go and retreating away from him. Both Tempus and Annabeth's attention shifted simultaneously towards the room ahead. You couldn't see into it, at least not more than a couple of feet._

 _Tempus took a few steps toward it, before she was blasted backwards by an invisible force. "Your friend is wiser than you think, child of wisdom," a voice appeared as a woman's image shimmered into existence._

 _The two recognized her immediately. "Lady Bellona!" Zack kneeled as Tempus recovered, bringing herself into a kneel as well. "You grace us with your presence?"_

" _A god…? Why appear now…?" Tempus muttered under her breath. Annabeth had to remind herself that this was before the whole business with Hera/Juno appearing._

" _Rise," Bellona ordered, to which they quickly obeyed. "You will turn back, children."_

" _Yes, my lady," Zack agreed, bowing._

" _Now wait, hold on a second," Tempus stopped him from going anywhere. Bellona raised an eyebrow, not expecting any resistance. "You have to know how far we've come, what we've been through. I think we deserve a bit of explanation."_

" _Hmph," Bellona raised her chin. "Your friend is right; what lies ahead wasn't meant for you. The Fates were wrong in sending you here; recovering this artifact was never your destiny._

 _The shock on Tempus' face was evident, and it quickly turned to anger, likely at being told to simply give up after so much hardship. "But…but that's impossible! Who are you to go against the Fates' decisions?!" Tempus yelled. "You come back_ now _to tell us this? Why didn't you say so before we left?!"_

" _Because we gods can only appear to mortals when absolutely necessary. You were expected to perish somewhere along your journey, and yet you didn't. For that, I commend you, but I cannot allow you to continue further. If you do, you will only sow more pain into your heart. And if you go, you will still fail. Is that what you desire, child?"_

" _You don't know a thing about me!" Tempus snapped. "I'm going, and you're not going to stop me!"_

 _Bellona thought about that, probably wondering whether or not she should just kill Tempus right there. Instead, she did step aside, and even gestured forward. She spoke as Tempus passed. "I pity you, child. Your hubris clouds your judgement. You lack the strength necessary to justify it."_

" _I'm strong enough to take anything. You'd know that if you'd been paying attention."_

"… _We'll see."_

 _With that, Tempus entered the room. Annabeth followed._

 _The daughter of Minerva grabbed an unlit torch from the wall, and scrapped it against a metal plate that was strapped to her forearm (which Annabeth thought was a magnificent idea), lighting it. It didn't help to illuminate the room much. Tempus inched forward, the light from the prior hallway disappearing, though Annabeth didn't hear the door close._

" _Is anyone there?" Tempus called out. Her response was a low scratching sound. The daughter of Minerva whirled around toward the sound, but didn't see anything in the darkness. Steeling her nerves, Tempus continued. Annabeth wanted to follow her, but something held her back, like whatever was in here was halting her, preventing her from seeing what Tempus was seeing._

 _All Annabeth heard were Tempus' screams. They weren't of pain, but rather of terror; they were the same ones that Annabeth let out with the spiders. Within another few minutes they faded, leaving Tempus' choked gargles as she struggled for breath against whatever it was that she was up against._

 _Annabeth heard a voice. "You don't belong here, Aduro. Your eyes aren't worthy to see this," the voice was…sinister is the only word to describe it. It felt inhuman, not having an ounce of humanity. After those two sentences, laughter was heard, from the new creature. Humorless cackles filled the room, followed quickly by Tempus letting out laughs much the same. Within another few minutes, Tempus shuffled back to Annabeth, past her, toward the doorway. The torch had gone out, but it seemed like Tempus didn't need the light to see._

 _She'd found the truth, and that was good enough._

 _It wasn't until both of the children of wisdom exited did Annabeth see Tempus' face. While before, her eyes showed a certain strength, a fierce determination, now they were hollow, staring at nothing, broken._

 _Zack rushed to her side. "Oh gods! Are you okay?" he gripped her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. She didn't respond. Bellona was still there, her own stare judgmental._

" _You now know the truth, yes?" she wondered. Tempus' head dipped lamely into a nod. "Then you know that you must turn back, alone."_

"…" _Tempus lifted her head to look at her fellow praetor. "This wasn't meant for us…" she muttered._

" _I know. That's what I was trying to tell you," he offered a smile. "Come on, we need to get you back to New Rome."_

" _No…you can't…"_

" _Tammy, you need help."_

" _No…" Tempus swatted his hands away with surprising force, before shoving him against the wall again, hands gripped around his throat. "You can't know. This wasn't meant for us."_

 _He struggled against her, but she had a terminator grip, her eyes wide in madness. Bellona watched on, not doing anything. Zack tried to call for help, but nothing would come out. He shot out flames, burning Tempus' arms, but she still wouldn't let go._

" _No one can know. No one," Tempus' voice was hollow. She gripped until Zack stopped thrashing, stopped spewing fire. She offered one more squeeze, hearing a snap, and then let him fall limp, dead._

" _You lack the awareness anymore to offer good sport," Bellona lamented, likely seeing her whole struggle as a game. Tempus ignored her, and turned back to go where she came in. "And you don't even realize that you won't make it back on your own."_

 _Bellona sighed, waved her hand, and Tempus disappeared. Somehow, Annabeth knew she was back in New Rome, or at least back in the States._

 _But she would never be the same._

xxxXXXxxx

Annabeth jerked back to reality. Part of her was expecting Bellona to know that she was there, but no such event occurred. Instead, Annabeth's curiosity quickly overcame her fear. Even after seeing what pressing on had done to Tempus.

Tempus had failed because she was a Roman, because whatever she found in there was a Greek artifact that needed to be retrieved by a Greek. Annabeth could succeed.

Had she known that it didn't matter what she was, she might've turned back.

Annabeth continued down the hallway, seeing a small off-shoot that she didn't see in Tempus' memory. Annabeth guessed that it was a shortcut back out, but she didn't get a chance to find out. Continuing further, she came to the Roman proverbs to ward off evil, and finally to the entrance to the darkness where Tempus finally went off the deep end. Still leaning against the wall was Zack, corpse still stinking and rotting, having only died a few years earlier. Annabeth knelt down beside him, and made a mental note to honor him once she returned.

Then, she turned to the doorway. Without hesitation or deterrent, Annabeth entered, to pitch black. She took a few steps in, and then there wasn't even light from the prior hallway, dim as it was. "Hello?" Annabeth called in, hearing her voice echo. She must've been in another big room. "I…came to retrieve the artifact. Is anybody there? You must be, or else-"

Annabeth froze as she heard a scratching sound to her right. She quickly drew her dagger, the soft light illuminating her face. Annabeth inched further in, now cautious; her sense of survival had returned, thankfully. "You…" a voice came from behind her. "You are different from those who came before…"

"I…I'm Greek."

"I know…" the voice said, drawing closer. Every sentence hung on the air, pulsing through Annabeth like it had force, even if it wasn't physical. Annabeth faced toward it, and then heard scratching to her left. She whirled around, but whatever was in here kept circling her. "Begone from this place…you don't belong here…"

"I don't belong…but I do! The others failed because they were Roman, right? I'm not, so I-"

A louder scratching came from directly behind her. Annabeth, on instinct, slashed as she turned, her dagger nicking whatever had approached. It let out a hideous screech, nearly deafening the daughter of Athena from its volume.

"You are just as sure of yourself as the rest…! There is nothing different about you…!"

"Wait, please, if you'd just listen-"

"There is nothing to listen to…" the voice was farther away. "Begone, or risk a fall unlike any you have ever seen…to Tartarus you will go…and from there…you can only die…"

"W-what? So…you're not gonna kill me?" Annabeth wondered.

"You would kill yourself just as easily from your hubris…I spare you the fate of death at my hands only for your blood…It isn't as tasty as an Aduro…"

"Well…" Annabeth didn't let her guard down, but didn't take another step. "…You let the last Aduro go, didn't you? She was a girl like me, right?"

Annabeth her something like a growl from what she assumed was the far end of the room. "There was something different about that one too…she had more of her mother in her than most…makes her life worth sparing…"

"…Why?" Annabeth didn't particularly want to know, just wanted to keep this thing talking and occupied. She didn't entirely trust it not to kill her.

"She broke quite easily…I had never seen one so on the brink…"

"You sound…pleasant," Annabeth mentioned. "Okay, suppose I leave. What will you do, just sit here?"

"If you keep talking, I will have fun with you for a while…"

"Just wait a minute, please. I want to see you. After coming all of this way, I deserve that much."

"And what would you do once you saw me?"

"Write down who or what you are, and pass on this notebook to someone who might be more 'worthy'," Annabeth said matter-of-factly. She was lying, of course, but she wouldn't let this thing know that.

"…So that's what the last Aduro did…I suppose the joke is on me for letting her go…"

"What, was that…against the rules?"

"It only serves to show that you are not worthy…but you want to see me, you said…?"

"Y-yeah, I do," Annabeth said. She heard the scratching again, coming on until it sounded like it was right on top of her. It was behind her, she knew it.

"Very well…" as it spoke, Annabeth felt a shiver go through her spine at being so close. She turned around, and the creature was lit up. Standing fifteen feet tall, a full three meters length-wise, was a woman with the bottom half of a spider. "Behold the 'beauty' of Arachne."

As soon as she said her own name, Annabeth couldn't breathe. Whatever force Arachne's words had exerted before had just been amplified by a factor of a thousand. Her malefic and fear-inducing aura paralyzed Annabeth, eyes darting haphazardly across the monster's fleshy, wrinkled, hairy body. She lacked the will to even gag at the sight. _This_ was what Tempus saw. This was what had made her go off the deep end.

After a few seconds, Annabeth regained her sense, and with it, her fear. She screamed, scrambling backwards into the wall, trying to distance herself from the horror, but Arachne followed. She raised her hands, pure white like spider webs, and stroked Annabeth's face. "You seem frightened…" her voice seemed to hold a million times more malice than before. Arachne drew closer, ending her speech in a whisper in Annabeth's ear.

"I've been told I was pretty…do you disagree…?"

All the daughter of Athena could do is let out choked gargles, too steeped in her fear to scream, let alone form words to call for help. Arachne drew back into the darkness, leaving Annabeth crying, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't speak as Arachne explained.

"You know my story, of a weaver who bested Athena…For my hubris, she turned me into this…this thing…but that isn't true…no…she wanted to hide all knowledge of what really happened…and what happened was that I found her treasure…a goddess of war whose treasure brings peace…funny…"

Annabeth curled up into a ball on the ground, burying her face into her arms. She needed to get away from this thing.

"For my hubris…she turned me into a hideous woman with no talent…but not what you see now…this came after she cursed me to guard it for all eternity…after the Aduros stole it…you want this treasure so badly…and yet when you see where it gets you…you go mad…it's sad…"

Some part of Annabeth's brain was still working, and something in that part clicked. Arachne had turned into Athena's sworn enemy because of her lust for the treasure. That it was the obsession with the goal that caused the transformation, not the initial act of hubris.

This was the truth that Tempus had learned, why she returned apathetic and distant, why she butchered her fellow praetor to keep the secret of the Parthenos and the Mark's trials, why she spent the rest of her short life trying to aid New Rome; she was putting as much distance between her and this obsession as possible, completely blocking that part of her character off, for good.

She was broken, but then she was also reborn, by her own hand.

Annabeth didn't think she'd have any such luck. This madness was too much for her. She would leave and become a recluse, not talk to anybody for fear of this experience coming up. She would-

A massive pain erupted in Annabeth's abdomen. She doubled over, the sensation single-handedly bringing her back from the brink of madness. The cry she let out seemed to confuse Arachne. "No harm has come to you…begone…"

What was happening to her? As the pain in her abdomen grew, so too did a sudden headache, as if all of her thoughts wanted to pour at once.

It hit her like a truck. "The…the baby…" she muttered, already sweating. She heard nothing from Arachne, who was probably still confused. "The baby!"

"Begone from this place…"

"I can't!" Annabeth snapped, her patience thin. She forced herself back against the wall. Light illuminated around her, and she soon discovered that her head was glowing, as her thought began to gather. "Help me…please…" she begged. "You don't have to be the monster."

The words seemed to strike a chord with Arachne, and on command, torches illuminated themselves around the room. This was the first good look Annabeth got of it, and the last. It was a massive circular room with a domed ceiling. The floor was uneven, in that parts of it were missing. Annabeth couldn't see what was down there; she could only guess that that was Tartarus, or the entrance to it.

The floor and walls seemed to be held up by string. Annabeth rapidly surmised that it was Arachne's webbing. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if Arachne perished and her webbing disappeared with her.

On the far end of the room was a massive glowing statue of Athena; the Athena Parthenos. Annabeth could wonder how she would get it out, if she could get it out, or what the hell they would do with it. She was a bit preoccupied.

Arachne crawled over to Annabeth, curious as like a dog, inspecting the situation from every angle. "You are having a child…this has not been done for centuries…"

"Please, you have to know something!" Annabeth strained, her headache growing in scope, the pain arcing out to her whole body. "Do something! Please!"

"There is nothing to be done…it is a birth…like any other…"

Feeling helpless, Annabeth clenched her fists, trying to will herself to be calm, but it didn't work. She let out a few more cries of pain before Arachne started stroking her hair. After a moment, Annabeth was able to briefly forget what she looked like, and even grabbed hold of one of her hands. After a moment of struggle, Arachne let it happen.

The light from her head slowly, _very_ slowly, coalesced in front of her. First into a small ball of silver light, and then into the shape of a fetus, and then a baby, like Annabeth was seeing pregnancy happen over time-lapse.

The next few moments happened in a blur. No sooner did the baby form and Annabeth feel a wave of relief flood over her, than did the ceiling begin to rumble.

Within another few seconds, the ceiling collapsed, releasing an initial floor of water, which was quick receded, followed by the Argo II descending into the chamber, cannons loaded and ready to fire.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Oh hello super-abrupt ending, nice to meet you today!**

 **In any case, like many things in fiction, this event (these events) will compound on top of one another exponentially as we go through the final two books. Just saiyan.**

 **Anyhoo, time for character songs, mostly for me.**

 **We've got two; one for Tempus, and one for Annabeth**

 **Tempus: Copycat by GUMI, cover by Dima Lancaster**

 **I'm going to elaborate a bit, both because I'm not obsessed with Persona 3 right now (I'm writing this note at 2:30 in the morning after playing it for like twelve hours straight lol) and because I want to call to attention this artist. I've loved Dima for a long time, and any chance I can get to endorse him, I'll take.**

 **Anyway, the song is basically, imo, two sides of the same person. This could be the side people see and the side they keep inside, or what they want to be versus what they are, or something like that. In Tempus' case, its herself after the events you read about today, singing about herself before she left on the quest. She's bitter, most of all. She tries to act normal, how her old self would've acted, and it may even start to become normal. But as I'll argue tomorrow when we talk Jason, she either can't keep it up, or can't be bothered, thus creating the persona (heh, look at that) that she was during her final years; the one that wrote the notebook, who turned so contrdictory so as to be apathetic and hopeful at the same time.**

 **Or maybe I'm just a pretentious asshole; it's up to you.**

 **Annabeth: It's Like A Tiny Bit Of Light (Sore wa Chiisana Hikari no Youna) by sayuri, cover by Dima Lancaster.**

 **Oh hey, here he is again. It's almost like I like him or something.**

 **Anything, this song is pretty fucking good imo. The way Dima presents it is as a call and response, with the first verse and chorus being a male, and second ones being female, before they come together for the final chorus. You could, in Annabeth's case, interpret this as her and Percy, which is arguably the strongest connection and easy to decipher my reasoning for. A bit more clever, however, is to have the call be from Tempus, and the response be from Annabeth, with some lines like "I swear you won't be alone" being something Tempus would say through the notebook, and Annabeth's response to what happened being lines like "A tiny bit of light (that's Tempus) give into darkness, I'm left to pick up the cracks of our dream".**

 **Idk, I liked the idea anyway.**

 **With that said, tomorrow is the finale, so expect another long note; we'll be going over the prophecy (my favorite that I've written), character songs, and an update on this project.**

 **See you tomorrow!**


	45. The Battle Of Heroes

Piper would've almost found it romantic; her and Jason, walking briskly through the streets of Rome to rescue some helpless damsel. Of course, Percy was there, but he could've been their scrappy sidekick or something.

She would have _almost_ thought it was that way, if not for the amount of tension between the two boys. They hardly spoke to each other. Piper tried goading them into conversation, but when one would enter, the other would leave. They were probably trying to avoid an argument, but Piper really wanted them to get along.

What kind of message did it send that this was all just an alliance of convenience? That after the Giants, they'd probably kill each other?

Eventually, she gave up, and let the conversation head in whatever direction they wanted. Percy was scouting ahead, leaving Piper and Jason. "I'm worried," the son of Jupiter said, under no real provocation. Piper tilted her head, urging him to continue. "Annabeth seemed a little too eager for her part in this."

'You think?' she returned in sign language. 'I thought it seemed pretty natural.'

"That's because you assume everything people do is genuine," Jason accused, though quickly caught himself. "Sorry, didn't mean to snap; I'm a little weary."

'It's fine. But you need to relax,' she urged. 'If you keep going like this, then you and Percy will kill each other.'

"Which is part of the reason I wanted him to stay on the Argo," he claimed. "That, and to keep an eye on Annabeth. At least we agree that she shouldn't go alone."

"Were you talking about me?" Percy wondered as he returned. Jason didn't answer, and Percy didn't exactly care. "Way's clear up to the Colosseum. We should get a move on."

With that, the three continued, coming up to the ruined building without a hitch. Percy led them through the crowd of tourists, and then to an offshoot once they entered the main area. Jason crossed his arms and said, "Do you know where you're going?"

"Call it intuition," the son of Poseidon answered, leading them down into one of the subterranean tunnels. Only a few people were there once they got down far enough. "Look," he pointed down the hall, at a three-way intersection. Only it wasn't a three-way intersection. As Piper looked closer, she saw a fourth way shimmer into existence, the fake wall blurring away. No mortals seemed to notice, some even feeling along the fake wall, which Piper didn't understand.

Still, when no one was looking, they entered the fake wall, and came to a pitch-black hall, leading downwards on a slope. Percy drew Riptide, and Piper New Side, each giving enough light so that together, they could feel out where they were going. "Where's your flashlight?" Jason questioned.

"On the Argo," Percy said. "It's for reading, not for illumination. Why haven't you drawn your weapon?"

"Imperial gold doesn't give off light," Jason claimed. Scoffing, Percy continued leading them, followed by Jason and then Piper leading the rear.

" _Please, just stop pushing each other's buttons,"_ Piper begged, wishing she had the guts to force them to do so. She doubted the effect would last long anyway, or at all. She didn't know if she could manipulate specific emotions using Charmspeak, though she assumed she could.

The three's footsteps echoed, with the only other thing producing sound was water dripping, making Piper imagine that they were in a sewer. Eventually, they came to a large open room, looking like an ancient version of those central command bases you'd see in a military movie, with all manner of Celestial Bronze wires and circuitry and screens displaying what looked like the entirety of Rome.

"Ah," a voice came from the figure at the far end of the room. "It's good of you to all come. Please, make yourself at home."

Jason drew his Regalius, coming up with the sword, as the others similarly readied their weapons defensively.

"Come now, that's not necessary. Please, put those down awhile. Let's just talk," the man urged, turning around to face them. To Piper's shock, both Jason and Percy lowered their weapons, and didn't seem to notice.

Piper swatted Jason's arm. "Gah! What was that?" he demanded in a whisper.

'Put your sword back up,' she demanded. Jason blinked, literally having not realized that he'd even put it down.

"What the hell?" Percy seemed to notice on his own. "You can Charmspeak?"

"Peace, son. My abilities are none of your concern."

"Then where's Bianca."

"No, what the hell did you do?" Jason didn't seem to be affected by the man's powers, when directed at Percy.

"Hmph, the rudeness of younguns these days...very well, kids. You may consider my abilities a more, ah...refined form of that pretty little Charmspeak thing that the pretty thing can utilize."

"Should've brought ear plugs," Percy muttered, and Piper couldn't help but wonder how he could act so casual. "Where's Bianca?" he repeated. The man smiled, and moved to the side, revealing a large urn, which was seeping some kind of dark energy.

"You'll find her quite safe, albeit half-dead. Come, take her."

Percy walked forward, but Piper held him back. "What? He said to-"

"He's tricking you!" Piper snapped, her voice making Percy's mind hazy as two forces battled for its control.

"He's…"

"Don't listen to her, son. Come; the little one's been waiting very patiently for you."

Piper continued trying to hold Percy back, while Jason continued questioning. "How do you have these powers? From what we know, the Giants never possessed any abilities like this."

"Oh, that," the Giant chuckled. "You'll have to take that one up with our God. He's lived for thousands of years while we've been a' slumbering."

"God?" Jason questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't you pay it no mind. Son, I'm getting a bit tired of waiting," he looked to Percy, who finally wrestled free of Piper's hold. Jason grabbed his shoulder, not wanting them to rush into anything. "Son, are you gonna let that filthy Aduro stop you from saving your friend?"

Percy glared at the son of Jupiter, swatting his hand away. "No, he's not."

"Percy, don't-"

"Lay off, Jason!" Percy snapped.

"Oh, wow. That was a bit uncalled for, wasn't it, Jason?" the Giant mentioned. The two were now turned on each other.

"No, guys, you need to snap out of it," Piper went between them. "This guy is the enemy, not each other. Focus!"

Piper's insides twisted as she felt them bend to her will, though it wasn't even close to as strong a reaction as last time, mostly thanks to Luke's help. Slowly, they relented, and turned their anger to the Giant. "And what are we supposed to call you?"

"Oh, Gluttony would do just fine. You can tell it fits," he patted his beer belly. "But enough about me, let's hear about this squabble you boys seem to have perpetuated."

"No, we need to-" Piper tried to stop them, but she was interrupted.

"He's a self-righteous asshole who doesn't have a damn clue what he's talking about," Percy claimed.

"And he's a ruthless, sociopathic monster who doesn't listen to anyone but himself."

"I do what needs to be done!" Percy returned.

"You didn't _need_ to go fight Heracles, or run off on your own at Fort Sumter, or butcher those pirates!"

"Oh, you know _damn_ well that the pirates would've followed and sunk us if I hadn't killed them all."

"Don't give me that, Jackson; don't pretend like you know what they would've done."

"They were _pirates_! It's pretty easy to figure it out!"

"Guys! Both of you, shut up!" Piper snapped. Their attention turned to her, lips sealed from her powers. She cast a brief glance over to the Giant, knowing that once he spoke, he'd override her powers. She needed to make the most of this. "Don't listen to him. We need to focus here. Listen, we can-"

"What did I miss?" a voice entered out of nowhere as a grapevine sprouted form the side of the room. From it, Dionysus sprouted, sporting his own pot-belly and permanently bored look. "Oh hey, you took exactly _none_ of my advice. Not only did you bring the both of them, but you didn't wait for me," he gave a half-hearted glare to Piper, as if it was her fault.

"Lord Dionysus, please, you have to-"

"Don't try your Charmspeak on me, beauty queen, and that includes you; I'm not falling for your idiot gimmick," Dionysus pointed accusingly at the Giant, who held his hands up.

"Of course, it wouldn't work anyway on the refined mind of a Greek god," he half-mocked.

Dionysus' attention turned fully to the Giant, opting for a late introduction. "Gluttony, you look as...potato-y as usual."

"And I see you still haven't given up your wine, old friend."

"Actually, I have."

"Oh, well...sorry, son; it doesn't show."

Dionysus jeered at the Giant's odd smile. "Come on, we doing this or what?"

"We don't need a damn thing from you!" Percy snapped, already in a bad mood.

"Percy, we _need_ his strength. Just-" Jason tried to reason.

"Would you _stop_ trying to tell me what to do?!" his voice had risen to a yell. Once he finished his biting remark, Percy shot his hand up to his forehead, as if his head was about to split open. Piper could tell he was trying desperately to resist Gluttony's influence. Or maybe Piper's, because she also knew he _really_ wanted to hurt Jason. Out of the corner of her eye, Piper saw Gluttony smirk, as if everything was going to plan. It probably was.

"Guys, calm down," she urged. "We need to listen to Lord Dionysus and-"

"Oh, just ignore the little scrapper, boys. Please go on," Gluttony goaded, and thus set them off again.

"I should've _never_ elected you, Grace," Percy pointed at him. "You're just a kid, an amateur who doesn't have what it takes!"

"You don't know a thing about me!"

"I know you can't do jack all to me, and if we're going up against things stronger than me, then I don't know what the fuck you're doing here!"

"I may be weaker than you, but at least I put myself to a higher standard than the lowest possible! You live like a hermit, Jackson, not bothering to help anybody around you unless they grovel and beg!"

"Like how?"

"Like the cabin feud! You let it go on for half a year before you finally decided to get up off your high horse and help!"

"You know, I'm getting _really_ sick of your goddamn holier-than-thou act. You're no better than me!"

"Don't try and bring me down to your level."

"A bit late for that; you've sunk lower than I've _ever_ gone! At least I practice what I preach."

"Don't say another word!"

"Because last I checked, when we've needed you most, when you were the one solely responsible for us, you couldn't live up! Sound familiar? Do you know why I don't have faith in you?"

"Don't!" Jason warned.

"Oh right! Because I don't want to end up like your precious Tempus; a goddamn pile of ashes!"

Piper didn't even see the attack until after Percy was sent flying; Jason had punched him, so hard that he went slamming into the opposite wall. Percy smashed into it, and landed, growling. "Enough!" Jason yelled. "Either you're leaving, or I'll throw you into the Atlantic myself!"

Percy smirked, having gotten his excuse to fight. "Alright then," he drew Riptide. "Do it."

"Oh, brother…" Dionysus didn't even look worried and readied his staff to break up the fight.

"What? I thought you hated demigods?" Gluttony mentioned.

"I do, but these little bastards are useful yet."

"Well, suppose they kill each other; you still got the young lady here."

Dionysus smirked. "True. so what, you're proposing we let 'em fight?"

"I think it would be a good time, son."

"That it would."

"No!" Piper put all of her willpower into her words, and for a moment it seemed to work. "Stop fighting!"

"Then let it be!" Gluttony interjected, putting the boys right back into kill-mode. He whirled around to his screens and console, tapped a few keys, and the room was engulfed in a massive white light. Piper felt a vague sense of being lifted, but didn't feel like she was in any imminent danger...aside form that fact that she was against a Giant and two warring demigods.

When the light faded, Piper couldn't believe her eyes. They were back above-ground, in the Colosseum, only it seemed to be completely refurbished, and full of a crowd of people. Gluttony, Dionysus, Piper, and the urn containing Bianca was all in the stands, while Percy and Jason were facing one another in a modified center, evened out to be used as a massive fighting arena.

"Let the games begin!" Gluttony announced, and the crowd that shouldn't have been there roared with excitement. Piper doubted that Jason or Percy noticed them.

Instead, they walked toward each other. They met each other in the center of the ring. "Ready to settle this?" Percy asked.

"I was ready before we left Camp Half-Blood."

Piper was about to try and stop them, but suddenly she was wrapped in grapevines, binding her arms to her sides, some slithering over her mouth to prevent speech. She was well and truly powerless to stop the fight.

The two stepped back, and then engaged. Jason immediately went on the offensive, trying to press through Percy's defense with alternating sword stabs and blasts of air. The son of Poseidon allowed him to do so, backing up but never breaking. He waited for the right opportunity to strike, knowing that Jason wasn't as polished with the sword. He quickly found his chance, parrying one of Jason's strikes in which he left himself exposed, before shooting out his water, latching it onto his wrist and ankle, and then yanking him through the air and to the ground.

Percy couldn't help but chuckle. "You really _are_ an amateur!" he mocked the Roman, who quickly stood and attacked again. This time, he wasn't nearly as careful, pressing more with close-range stabs, using his wind to propel himself toward his opponent as he retreated. "I heard about your fight with Heracles; come on, show that lightning!" Jason leapt up and stabbed. Percy back-stepped and swept water out on the ground, making Jason trip as he landed. "Believe me, Grace; you're gonna need it."

Jason stood and took several deep breaths. " _Please, just run. You can't beat him,"_ Piper begged in her head. He took that advice only halfway, as he flew up into the air. This seemed to throw Percy off-guard a bit.

"Oh no you don't!" he shot out tendrils of water, trying to catch Jason, but the son of Jupiter had utter mastery in the sky. He soared and twisted around each of Percy's grabs, even flying by and blasting the man with his wind, knocking him back several meters each time, the winds giving him cuts from their force.

"Still think I need my lightning?" Jason called down, circling Percy and picking up speed, creating a whirlwind effect. Soon, that whirlwind turned into a small tornado, with Percy at the center. "Come on, Jackson; why don't you show your full power? Believe me; you're gonna need it!"

The wolf dug his sword into the ground, legs well off the ground from Jason's tornado. He shot a tendril of water into the ground, pulling himself toward it, even when the son of Jupiter continued to blast him from within the tornado. With a bit of exertion, Percy got his feet back onto the ground, before he began building up power within himself. Piper saw his body become a glow of green within the dust and dirt that Jason had accumulated.

Percy released all of his power in the form of a massive blast of water, knocking Jason clean out of the sky and dispersing his tornado. The son of Poseidon didn't hesitate, wrenching his blade from the ground and dashing toward Jason, who'd landed halfway across the arena. The man just barely stood before Percy was on him. Jason managed to put up a defense, but it didn't hold for very long, with Percy getting in good shots, some kicks and punches, some sword slashes.

Jason finally gained some distance from Percy's assault, tearing his hand to the side and forcing the wind to do so, making Percy retreat to avoid it. "Answer this, Jackson; why won't you listen to me? You never have, even when you nominated me for the quest," the son of Jupiter questioned.

"You already know why," Percy claimed. "Because you're a Roman."

Jason growled. "And what's so wrong with that?" he returned, dashing forward, clashing blades with the older man. "Just because we choose to live up to an ideal, rather than waste away our lives! Instead of just fighting for our survival, we fight for something greater than ourselves; something that you obviously don't understand!"

"That's where you're dead wrong, Grace!" Percy forced him back, blasting him with water. Jason stayed on his feet from the blast, but was knocked off the them from the next. Percy continued pelting Jason with water blasts. "You're nothing but a kid, playing hero! You have no idea what it's like to have the weight of hundreds of lives resting on your shoulders! You don't have a clue what true loss is!"

"I lost my _best friend_!" Jason tried deflecting his blasts, but after his snap, they only came faster and stronger.

"And I lost eight of them!" Percy roared. "One after the other after the goddamn other, I kept losing them no matter how hard I tried! That's why those ungrateful bastards at camp called me the Hero of One; because Annabeth is the only one who _survived_ that was worth saving!"

"You're wrong! You didn't try hard enough to save the others! You could've done it; you're strong enough, you're capable enough. You _know_ you could've done better!" Jason deflected a water blast and returned with his own of air, getting Percy in the head by some miracle. "And knowing that just eats away at you!"

"Shut up!" Percy snapped, his power bursting from within him, putting Jason back on the defensive. His vision momentarily flashing with images of other, better, timelines. He pushed up, never letting up his assault. "You keep going on about your ideals, about heroism and justice and honor and all of that other crap, but you can never live up to them. You don't even try! Well, if you won't take the steps to live up to your precious ideals, then you can drown to _death_ carrying them!" Percy shot his water straight at Jason's head, making it envelop his skull and stick there.

Jason dropped to his knees, clutching at his throat; he'd no doubt already swallowed some of the water from the shock of impact. A few minutes, and he'd drown in that bubble of water. Percy, for a terrifying moment, felt that same thrill and catharsis he experienced in the other timeline, as he tortured his father before killing him. He wanted to stop, to not feel that way, knowing it was wrong, and yet he didn't. He kept the water there, despite every signal in his brain telling him to cease and desist. He stood over Jason, watching the light fade as he ran out of breath.

Jason wasn't going down without a fight. Using the last of his air, he screamed, using his powers to amplify it. The shockwave of his scream blasted away the water. Before Percy could follow-up, Jason thunder-clapped at his strongest, sending Percy flying through the air, clear to the other side of the arena.

Jason stood slowly, catching his breath in raspy, labored gasps. "You Fallen Greeks...you think you can do whatever you want…" he flipped his sword and returned it to a coin. "Well I'm _sick_ of it!" he yelled, sending shockwaves through the air. He let out his power, sending harsh, intense winds spiralling around them, the air crackling with sparks. "So go ahead and keep fighting! But so long as you oppose me, you don't have the _right_ to look down on me!" he swept his arms out to the side. "Face me, Titan Slayer!"

At the direct challenge, Percy glared. "With pleasure, asshole."

He held his hand out, building up power, until his entire body glowed with a sea green aura. Water seeped from his body as he grew stronger and stronger. Percy forced his water to build and build until it coalesced into the form of another blade. Once he finally felt the grip in his hands, Percy burst into a run.

Up in the stands, something had changed. Gluttony watched intently, seeming to revel in the glory of battle, but Piper's bonds had only grown tighter. Soon, she discovered it was because she was now being stopped by two gods. At Jason's display, Dionysus' form flickered. "Oh yeah!" the god yelled, uncharacteristically enthusiastic. "I haven't felt this kinda way in a thousand years!" As he said it, his form blurred between his normal self, and that of what Piper guessed was his Roman form. And then, as if it had been this way forever, Piper saw two men standing and watching the battle; Dionysus and Bacchus had split. Piper numbly recalled Artemis' declaration, that only one god exists unless the influence is equal, but this...this was just too trippy.

The son of Jupiter slammed both hands into the ground, willing the earth to aid him. All around him, all around the entire arena, the ground glowed. Where it did, lightning shot from the ground soon after. Percy handily dodged all of the pillars of lightning, feeling his hair singe as he ran past them. He had a clear shot to Jason, leaping up to get a strong downward slash. "Got you!" below Percy, the ground glowed, and lightning burst from the ground.

Percy wasn't deterred, as he shot his newly created weapon straight into the epicenter of the blast, making his blade explode into a massive burst of Percy's own power, nullifying Jason's. The son of Poseidon raised his blade to cut Jason in two as he landed, but Jason was fast.

He wrenched Percy out of the sky, making him fly over him just like he did when Percy tried this back at camp; the sky was _his_ domain, and Percy wasn't invited.

This time, though, Percy wasn't completely off-balance. He stumbled a bit, but was soon in a run toward Jason. The son of Jupiter flipped into the air, dragging the wind with him as he kicked. Percy met Jason's leg with his own, his water cancelling out Jason's attempted attack. Percy twisted around, bringing his other foot to pound across Jason's face. Blood spurted from his mouth as he recoiled, but as Percy came up with a sword swing, he was met with Jason throwing a flying fist, bashing Percy in the jaw.

Percy returned with a punch from his off-hand, before they both let loose a kick, enhanced by their powers, sending each other back several meters. Percy recovered first, dashing forward.

He reared his blade back to run through Jason's heart, but Jason's flipped his coin into the attack. The Imperial Gold parried the blow, able to do so because of its magical properties, and finished its flipping simultaneously, into a spear.

As their weapons clashed and Jason parried Percy's follow-up strike, Percy had formed his second sword again, and was going all in with a vicious double-bladed assault, his attacks coming at such a fast pace that Jason would've been toast immediately had he drawn his sword.

With his spear, though, and with the wind guiding him, Jason kept on pace with the son of Poseidon, matching Percy blow for blow, each clash sending visible shockwaves out, and they just came faster and faster until their weapons were just blurs in the air. Eventually, Percy's better stamina won out, as he rent his blade across Jason's chest. It wasn't a deep cut, just enough to hurt and to bleed, the crimson liquid spurting out. He then kicked Jason away, his spear knocked out of his hands from the impact.

Jason tumbled along the ground, exhausted from the battle thus far, but after all of this, he couldn't give up. He stood, and looked at Percy, at this smug barbarian, still ready to do battle. Suddenly, Jason felt his anger spike, and with it, his powers. "I won't lose!" he yelled as his powers fully slipped from his control. He let out a massive roar, wind and lightning coursing along his body and arcing out from it in haphazard, deadly streaks. Jason's vision became consumed by white, just like against Wrath, and against Krios. He succumbed once again.

Only this time, he had enough sense to target his rage. Jason lifted himself into the sky and built up strength from the air around him, and reared his hand back. What started as a small spark in his palm quickly turned into a bonafide lightning bolt, charging up and ready to be fired. Even storm clouds formed above him, lightning arcing from the sky, adding to his power.

Percy watched for a moment, a glare planted on his face as he prepared himself for Jason's all-or-nothing attack. He knew this would drain him dry. Percy just had to survive it.

He willed his second blade away, stuck Riptide into the ground, and drew Oathkeeper. He slit his arm just as he did with the pirates. This time, though, he collected the power all in one spot, instead of shooting it out in a hundred directions. With a mix of sea green, blue, and crimson, Percy glowed with power, a dense sphere of a mix of water and his own blood formed above his hand.

With another roar, Jason let loose his bolt. Percy saw light from Jason letting it off, reared back his hand, and then shot it forward. Percy's attack met Jason's mere inches from Percy's hand, with the collision resulting in an absolutely awesome explosion of water and lightning, the impact causing a massive cloud of dust and debris flying for good measure. An entire half of the arena was destroyed from the collision, the half Percy was in, and that included the bleachers for the fake audience.

Jason landed, the drain of his power enough to force him out of his enraged state. Part of him wondered if he really just killed Percy, but a more overpowering part of him just wanted to rest. He collapsed onto his hands and knees, sweat dripping from all over his body, feeling like he needed triple the oxygen with each breath to survive. The last thing he expected was to have a wild animal attack him.

Out of nowhere, the wolf tore through the cloud of dust and steam, blade at the ready. Jason didn't notice him until Percy had kicked him away. Jason had no options once he recovered; his weapon was just gone until he stumbled across it in the rubble, his powers had been drained dry, and yet Percy was still going as strong as ever. " _How...how can he be so strong?_ " Jason found himself questioning, and Percy delivered brutal punch after brutal kick, adding in a couple of sword slashes here and there. " _Is it all I can do to rip his jacket? Is that the extent of my reach to him?"_ Jason questioned, seeing that Percy's crimson hoodie had been destroyed from his left wrist, up the arm, and a bit past that to expose his shoulder-blade and chest.

Percy acted like he wasn't even winded as he tripped Jason up, making him fall onto his back. Jason closed his eyes, quickly realizing something that would haunt him for a long time.

That he never stood a chance to begin with.

He felt the cool Celestial Bronze of Riptide held up to his throat, but he didn't feel it cut across his skin. Jason slowly opened his eyes, seeing Percy standing over him, eyes wild, but hesitant, as if he were trying to remember why there were there. Come to think of it, Jason was having trouble remembering that very thing.

The Titan Slayer stood, retracting his blade from the kill position, and looked up to the gods and the Giant. "Enough?" he questioned. Confused, Jason looked up. As if on cue, their vision was engulfed in a bright while light, and when it fade, they were back underneath the Colosseum; it had all been an elaborate illusion, at least the scenery.

The room was wrecked from Jason and Percy's fight, and Piper and the others were still elevated like they were before in the stands. "Excellent work, you two," Dionysus clapped a couple of times, followed by Bacchus. "Good show."

"Oh?" Gluttony smirked. "You seem in a strangely chipper mood, son."

"Yeah, we are," Bacchus smirked back, as a shroud of grapevines revealed a giant vial or hourglass of some kind, filled with some kind of light energy (they later learned that it was Aether, or the purest form of divine energy). "You know what this is?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say it was all of the energy they used during their little scuffle," Gluttony said.

"Bingo," Dionysus raised his staff, ready to use it and his own power to kill the Giant. "Any last words?"

"Just a few: don't you think you deserve more, after what we agreed upon?"

"Eh?"

"I mean, they were supposed to kill each other, right?" the Giant said. "Why rush to the punchline when they haven't finished setting up the joke."

"You're saying we should make one kill the other before we kill you?" Bacchus questioned. Piper wanted to scream at them to just get on with it before he manipulated them, but she figured that something in his voice was making them keep talking. "Interesting."

"No, it's idiotic," Dionysus argued. "Let's just finish it."

"Oh come on, where's the fun in that?" Gluttony said amiably. "You know that this is how it's supposed to play out, son."

Bacchus' wheels were turning. " _How the hell is this working?"_ Piper screamed in her head. " _His powers aren't supposed to work on gods!"_

And then she remembered that it only doesn't work on _Greek_ gods, since their mental abilities are stronger.

"He's right," Bacchus concluded. "We've gotta see this through."

"You've got to be kidding me," Dionysus muttered, readying his staff once again. "I'm finishing this right-"

Bacchus summoned his own staff, this one looking a lot gnarlier than the Greek equivalent. "You try, you die."

" _How would that work?"_ Piper thought, but she was still helpless.

"I've have enough of this!" Percy snapped. "I'll kill him myself, and if you get in my way, then I'll kill you too!"

Percy raised his hands, and more blood shot from his self-inflicted wound. It coalesced like his water did, in the form of a blade. This one radiated power, and Jason concluded that this had to be the limit of Percy's strength; what had allowed him the title of the Titan Slayer.

Percy propelled himself upwards with his water, toward the vial of power, ready to smash it and consume it to use for an attack, but Bacchus blocked the way. Dionysus made a move to push him, was held back by Gluttony, physically, but no party made contact with each other. Percy landed on the balcony. "You really think you can take on a god, mortal?!" Bacchus challenged.

"You really think you can take on the Titan Slayer, god?" Percy retorted.

"Percy, please!" Piper called, the two gods being distracted giving her enough leeway to escape. "We need to focus!"

"No! I'm sick and tired of being held back from protecting the people I care about!" he snapped. "I won't stand for it anymore! If I _can_ do something, then I _have_ to do something! And _this_ is something that I have to do."

Percy didn't even take a step toward his goal before a golden light blurred into his vision. A man appeared from the blur, in a suit of shining golden armor, wielding a scythe which Percy knew all too well. " **Well spoken, Titan Slayer,** " the man said. " **I couldn't agree more.** "

Without another word allowed to anyone, the man spun his scythe and slashed it right through the vial. All of its energy seemed to release and then envelop the newcomer, engrossing him in a pure power. He looked at Gluttony who, for the first time that he could remember, felt an utter fear and confusion on top of that, as to how he faced this man now. The scythe-wielder channeled all of the energy to his weapon, and then swung, sending out a beam-slash of pure energy, right at the Giant, carrying the power of two near god-tier demigods, and the full power of a Titan.

Within another few seconds, there wasn't any trace of Gluttony having ever been there.

The calm was almost disturbing after the Giant had been killed. Strange, that the first Giant to die hadn't been killed by one of the seven of the prophecy. In the lull, Jason managed to pick himself up and fly-skate up to the balcony, where he saw Percy with his weapon pointed at…

"Luke?" Jason questioned. "I thought you were with Leo and Grover?"

Luke chuckled, but the voice definitely wanted his. His eyes were different as well, no longer having the ring of blue around the pupil; they were pure gold. "That isn't Luke anymore," Percy claimed, his voice on edge, maybe even more so than when fighting Jason. "You'd better still have enough energy to fight."

" **You shame me in assuming, Titan Slayer,** " he returned.

"Shut it, Kronos!" Percy snapped, though he looked less than ready to fight at full strength again. Jason could take some small solace in that he wore Percy out pretty good, even if Percy wouldn't have admitted it. That solace was overshadowed by the realization that they were now up against the Lord of the Titans. "What did you do with Grover and Leo!"

" **I did not harm them, but they are not unharmed,** " he claimed. " **I didn't come to fight, young demigod.** "

"Like hell!"

The Titan chuckled. " **You think I couldn't end you right now, in your condition?** " he threatened, to which Percy growled but held his tongue. " **No, I won't fight or kill you now. My only target was the Giant; their loathsome kind are worse than even the Olympians.** "

"So...you're on our side."

The Titan Lord barely glanced at Jason, and yet that brief stare sent chills down his spine from his sheer presence. Within that same movement, Kronos tossed something to him; Jason got the Regalius back. " **Do not misunderstand, Aduro. While the Titan Slayer is arguably useful to me, I would gladly dispose of any of the rest of you, save the imp, as this one,** " Kronos gestured to himself, referencing Luke. " **Does not know how to steer that contraption.** "

"So what, you'll kill them?" Percy questioned.

Kronos smirked. " **No. But the thought will now always be at the back of your head that I might,** " he said ominously, before lurching forward. Luke caught himself before he face-planted. "Oh, ah…" he held his head. "What the hell happened? Where…?"

"Luke!" Percy rushed forward, blade still at the ready. When he reached him, he held it up to the man's throat. "You promised that you were in control!"

"I am!" the host claimed. "I just...I...I don't know what happened…" he dug his palm to his forehead. "It's all...blurry...I remember...going with them, finding the location, and then...I...tried to use more of Kronos' power than usual. Grover was about to be killed on the other side of a locked door and I-"

"What happened to Grover?"

"He…" Luke tried to remember. "...He didn't make it," he claimed. Somberness washed over the other three questers present.

"He...he's gone…?"

"What about Leo?" Percy pressed.

"I think Kronos saved him, took him back to the Argo II before coming here. Percy...I don't think Annabeth was there."

That one hit Percy harder. "What?" he questioned, grabbing Luke's arm. "Where the hell did she go?"

Luke didn't get a chance to answer, as this was when God descended from the heavens.

He appeared in a brief flash of green light, covered in battle wounds, but not seeming all that tired. Suddenly, the air of the room changed, as if they knew that they couldn't hope to stand against this thing, even when he was injured.

"Well, that didn't turn out as planned, even if it still works," the man said.

"Pride," Luke recalled, readying himself. Kronos' power was still fresh within him. The Giant ignored them.

"Though, it does make me a bit _absolutely furious_ when my plans don't go through," he turned to the party, with all of them quickly readying their weapons. "It's cute that you think you stand a chance."

"You bastard! What did you do?" Luke demanded.

"Well, what I was _going_ to do is destroy that pesky Camp Half-Blood after I realized it was a waste of resources to do it later. I wasn't expecting the mommies and daddies to come running so readily. Still, I assumed I could just eliminate them there. But alas, for now, in this corporeal form, even I have my limits," he gestured to himself, and how it looked like he just went through World War Three. "Though I say it works out, because now all of those would-be gods are out of commission."

"You killed them?"

"No, we can still feel them," Bacchus claimed. "They're alive, but weak."

"Damn it, we don't have time for this…" Percy muttered. "We need to find where Annabeth is."

Pride overheard that. "41.638, 12.152," he said vaguely. Instantly, Percy's mind clicked the pieces together.

"Latitude, longitude...that's right outside Ostia!" Percy claimed.

"How do you know that?" Jason questioned, but Percy didn't have time to explain his sea navigation/awareness skills, and simply took off running to get her. "Wait, Percy!"

"Ah, good," Pride smiled, disturbingly normally. "I don't need to keep any of you."

In an instant, Pride disappeared, and then both he and Luke were clashed right in front of him. In another instant, Jason was flying through the air, punched away by Pride, who'd gotten past Luke's time dilation, moving too fast for him to react. He flew straight up, crashing through the roof and up through the floor of the Colosseum, into open air, from _one punch_! Jason caught himself, but Pride was on him. Finding newfound power in adrenaline, Jason took off, trying to avoid him.

"Oh no!" both Dionysus and Bacchus teleported after them, and Piper was about to make a move toward them as well.

"No, wait!" Luke stopped her. "You need to get to Percy!"

"Why?!" she questioned, clearly distressed.

"Because he's tunnel-visioned! Get him to the Argo; I'll get Jason. We _need_ to get out of here!" As he spoke, Luke smashed the urn containing Bianca. The girl crumpled onto the floor, unconscious. Luke hoisted her onto Piper's shoulders. "Take her, find Percy, and run!"

After a second of hesitation, Piper nodded, and ran off. Using his Titan-enhanced strength, Luke leapt up and followed them out.

Jason was shocked at how many different abilities Pride displayed. He could fly, for one. He shot fireballs at Jason as he flew through the streets, trying to shake him in some of the tight corners. With those fireballs, Pride shot out strong gusts of wind not unlike how Jason shot them out. He was incredibly strong, smashing down and causing a small earthquake when he landed. Jason managed to catch himself again, soaring away and lowering himself as he flew to the River Tiber. The water crashed around him from Pride's various projectiles. Another of the Giant's power revealed itself, as he willed pillars of hardened water and ice to shoot from the surface to stop Jason in his tracks.

No matter where Jason flew, no matter how fast or how hard he pushed himself, Pride stayed right on his heels. Eventually, Jason figured out that it was because he was purposefully prolonging the chase, staying right out of reach to keep Jason running. Because it was fun for him. Jason stopped, tearing his hand through the air and willing the wind to cut Pride as he flew past, but the Giant tapped Jason's shoulder. "You're a bit late for that."

Jason whirled around, only to get a fireball to the face, sending the son of Jupiter tumbling out of the sky. He landed relatively softly on a slide of grapevines made by Dionysus, while Bacchus teleported straight up to Pride, swatting him out of the sky with his staff.

The Giant crashed into the ground, sliding through several buildings before coming to a stop, standing, and cracking his neck like it was just another day for him. "See, now _that_ was rude," he said, before disappearing again. It wasn't really disappearing; he was just moving too fast for Jason to see. He couldn't react to anything, he had no perspective. He saw Pride's face briefly in his vision before a crash came from behind him from the Giant and Dionysus batting each other away. Then Luke appeared out of nowhere.

"Jason!"

"Gah!" Jason jumped, surprised. Luke was blasted down to him from an attack let loose by the Giant King, once again too fast for Jason to process in time.

"You need to ask one of the gods for their godly weapon!" he urged.

"What? Why?"

"Because they're stronger in the hands of mortals!" Luke claimed, before disappearing and then subsequently being swatted away, taking a hit for Jason.

"Lord Dionysus, Lord Bacchus, I-" Jason didn't finish, as two projectiles, a ball of fire and a ball of water, engulfed him. He was blasted back through the city, demolishing many buildings, near unconscious from the impacts. He landed but then immediately flew into the air, trying to make distance.

This wasn't going to work. He couldn't get a word in edgewise, let alone could he ask for permission from a god. Seeing flashes of the battle happening around him, Jason had no other choice. Pride was coming up on him, and Jason felt Luke take another hit, just barely, with both of the gods being downed for the moment.

Jason let go once again, stretching his powers more than he ever had before. His vision was engulfed in white, as he called on that rage and desperation. He roared, sending lightning arcing from his body, ready to fight. And then, as Pride was coming up on him…

Jason blacked out. Though that wasn't accurate. Luke had leapt up to him, and smashed his fists into the back of Jason's head, knocking him unconscious. They both fell enough to where Pride missed them, but only just. Luke caught Jason, figuring he only had a few minutes, both before Jason woke up and when Piper and Percy would be ready at the Argo II.

"I won't stop until I have godly blood smeared on my body!" Pride roared from his position in the sky. Luke ran, using his time dilation. Pride shot toward them, but was caught, but a mess of grapevines.

Pride was yanked out of the sky by two sets, one from each aspect of the god of wine. He was caught between them, and with each precious second, Pride was losing ground, but he actually didn't mind. In fact, he was smiling. "I suppose you will have to do."

He lit the grapevines ablaze and shot toward Bacchus. In an instant, Pride had impaled him with a fist, right through the heart. Dionysus keeled over at that, and once Pride did the same for him, his hands caked in ichor, they exploded in a burst of divine energy.

Taking a deep breath, feeling satisfied with himself, Pride retreated. As he thought more about it, in fact, the more he felt okay about letting them go. Not only did this fight prove that he needed to recover, but he didn't want to provoke his two sacrifices to come too quickly to the endgame. This would do nicely, put them on the exact right pace.

Not to mention, he had a new goal; he wanted that lightning.

With that, Pride disappeared.

xxxXXXxxx

By the time the Argo II arrived at the specific location that Pride gave out, everyone was awake, though Leo was in his room, the others not having had time to check on him yet. He wouldn't have come out anyway, even for this.

Upon reaching the location, Percy shot off the side and into the water. With a roar of exertion, he literally split the sea. Jason, at the helm, fired the airships' canons at the seabed beneath Percy, blasting it clean open to a hidden room beneath the sea, which was the end of a trial which spanned from Rome all the way out. Jason figured there was some Mist manipulation of distance within the trial to make that happen.

The room was briefly flooded by excess water, but soon it was clear. Jason lowered ropes to get everyone down, as he slowly lowered the Argo II into the hole and activated lights which shone down into the hole.

As soon as he saw Annabeth, Percy left the crew, dropping down and letting all of the water to its devices. With a growl of frustration, Jason willed the wind to hold back the water in Percy's place, occupying him for this rescue mission. Soon the others, minus Leo, dropped down along with Percy.

xxxXXXxxx

How sad is it that Annabeth didn't even get to appreciate her newborn child before everything went to hell? The Argo lowered, and with it, so did everyone else.

"Annabeth!" Percy burst down, Riptide at the ready.

"Percy, no!" Annabeth yelled, but she was too late. Despite her horribleness, Annabeth was appalled to see Arachne explode into dust at Percy's hand. The son of Poseidon rushed to her side, trying to comprehend the situation, but couldn't even get a word in when the floor and walls rumbled around them. The pillars surrounding the room fell first, crashing into what little floor there was, sending it to Tartarus.

"Percy!" Bianca called behind him. She was still weak, but able to help in some way, she claimed. It was too late. A pillar crashed near the two, sending their part of the floor falling, with them along with it.

Percy acted fast, grabbing Annabeth with one arm, and shooting a water tendril back up using his other arm. Bianca caught wind on instinct, shooting her own tendril of shadow to interlink with Percy's, the combined power keeping them from falling completely. Piper quickly grabbed the daughter of Hades' waist, and Luke grabbed Piper's, to help pull them up.

"Percy!" Annabeth's voice rang in his ears, as he felt his grip on both her and the water tendril weakening with every passing second. "The baby! We can't fall to Tartarus!"

"Hold on!" Piper urged, pouring every ounce of willpower into the words to keep them motivated.

Percy closed his eyes, knowing he was out of options. There was only one way to go from here. They had a chance at surviving down there. The baby didn't. "It meets at the Door of Death, right?" he called up.

"What?!"

"Meet us there! Save the camps! Keep our kid safe!"

In one swift movement, Percy let go of both Annabeth and the tendril. With one hand, he snatched his child from Annabeth, wrapped it in water (making sure it could breathe), and then shooting it up. Then, he fell along with his beloved.

Bianca fell backward, too weak to keep from falling after Percy let go, while Piper had to reach out over the abyss to catch the baby. She would've fallen in too if Luke hadn't caught her. He dragged both Piper and Bianca away, just as the floor beneath where they were collapsed.

"We need to get out of here!" Bianca yelled.

"The artifact!" Luke called over the chaos. "You two go!"

Nodding, they both grabbed the ropes and tugged. Festus automatically pulled them up. Luke ran to the Athena Parthenos, reached to its bottom, and let Kronos' power flow through him. "Festus! I need an opening!" he yelled. Glancing up, he saw the hull retreat, revealing a hangar just big enough to fit the statue. With a heave, Luke threw it up, and Festus auto-corrected Jason's altitude to catch it. Luke leapt up into the same opening, and Festus lifted them off, leaving the chamber to crumble away.

xxxXXXxxx

It was a good few hours before they stopped flying. They headed south, further into the sea, unsure of where to go. Luke, Bianca, and Jason were resting on the deck of the Argo. Piper soon came from the doorway. "How is he?" Jason asked, too tired to say it with any real investment. Piper shook her head and wrote.

'He's taking it pretty hard. He'll need time,' she said. She didn't mention that she couldn't get a word out of him, or that he was just sitting there at his desk, with his goggles tugged over his eyes, like he was hiding behind a mask.

Jason nodded, completely understanding. "Yeah, only problem is we don't have a lot of that to spare," Luke spat. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. He was just as demoralised from the day's events as the rest of them. They had all failed at what they set out to do. Each and every one of them. Jason couldn't keep his cool or help against Pride, Piper couldn't hold Jason and Percy back from fighting, Bianca couldn't pull Percy and Annabeth from Tartarus, and Luke couldn't save Grover, Annabeth, or Percy from their fates.

Another few hours passed before anyone spoke. Jason suggested they all get shut-eye, but none of them did. Finally, the dreaded question came up.

"So what now?"

Eyes turned to Jason, who wasn't in any mood to play the leader. He didn't deserve it, not anymore. Or maybe he never did. "I guess...go back to our camps."

"But...Percy…" Bianca's voice was meek and timid.

"And Annabeth," Luke agreed.

"Guys...no mortals can survive in Tartarus. Not even them," Jason said, to which they couldn't really argue. "In that place, it's a no-win game."

"What about the kid?" Luke questioned, the infant in question being in Piper's arms, asleep.

"...I don't know…" Jason admitted. "Guys...this was a bust…"

"Preaching to the choir," Luke said bitterly.

"I guess since we have the artifact that can theoretically end the feud, we should cut our losses and-"

The door slammed open from the personal quarters. "I'll tell you what we're doing," Leo's voice came through, not even close to the same as before. It wasn't joking or jovial, but rather harsh and determined. "We're going to the Doors of Death, at the Necromanteion in Epirus."

The four didn't know which to comment on first, Leo's plan, or the elephant in the room. "Leo...is that?"

The boy flexed his arm, only his actual arm was gone. What was shown was an newly designed power arm, made of pure Celestial Bronze (painted black like soot, to match Leo), with the small glowing power amplifier socketed in its shoulder, allowing Leo's natural electric signals to have enough oomph to move the machine. "Didn't you all hear me? We're going to the Doors, and we're going to close them!"

"But...we have the artifact, the Athena Parthenos," Jason mentioned. "Our first priority should be-"

"Hey!" Leo interrupted. "Grover _died_ to get this information!" he let the sentence ring, let it take its full effect. "Now we're using it. Any objections?"

None arose.

"Good; next destination, Epirus!"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! so before I go into finale crap, I'm going to give an update on the status of this story. So, I need a break. This already getting close to The Cruel Spider in length, and in less than a third of the time. I need to rest my Percy Jackson brain. It sucks, but that's what's gotta happen. I hope to stay in touch and give updates, because I'm not just going to stop writing (even though that's exactly what I did the past five days but shut up), but I'm moving United We Stand to the side for now to focus on my own work.**

 **Until then, I've opened up a discord server for those who want to ask questions or discuss; whether anyone joins or not, I don't really care. I have discord up anyway for friends, so I figure have something up for this too. Here's the link. It should never expire, but if it doesn't work, just send me a PM here.**

 **Scratch fucking that! This site sucks and doesn't want me to post links either here OR in my profile (for which is has a specific tool to use in making such links, that then don't appear after changes are saved), so instead, here's my discord. We can be friends, and then I'll invite whoever cares to the server. Fuck that pisses me off as I sit here writing this note at 2:30 AM *grumble grumble***

 **Hikaridewd54#9567**

* * *

 **With that, regular finale stuff.**

 **So first, character songs.**

 **Piper: "Datte Atashi no Hero ('Cause You're My Hero)" by LiSA (i didn't know it was from fucking LiSA!), English cover by Christina Vee**

 **The song is basically about sticking with someone no matter what trials await them, which is basically how Piper goes with Jason. Easy explanation.**

 **Percy: "Haruka Kanata (Far Away)" by Asian Kung-Fu Generation, also known as the group who did the fucking best op for FMA, English cover (sort of) by Caleb Hyles, who you'll be hearing more of, because he's a phenomenal singer with incredible range.**

 **The song is difficult to parse through, but the way Hyles interprets it is as someone ont he brink of despair, pull out of it by a loved one. I'm sure you know where this is going. Now, it COULD reference Annabeth (which is probably the strongest case), but keep it in the back of your head, because you might not think so once the Blood of Olympus is over.**

 **Jason (the MC don't me): "Even If That Is Your Happiness" by GUMI (I think they were first). No English cover, though there are two version to pay attention to. The one by KK, and the one by Raon Lee**

 **This one's gonna take some explanation. So, the song is about this person watching someone they love essentially walk the path less trodden, in the hopes that they'll make the road easier for those following behind. That's the basic gist of it anyway, aside from other themes like the passage of time, aging, growing apart, and nostalgia.**

 **You could easily interpret that as what Jason is trying to do, and failing at it, as today's events showed. This will be even more true as time goes on, but I think a cleverer angle is to think that this is Jason's feelings towards Tempus, that he, after she returned from the Ancient Lands, had to watch her play the villain to the Senate's hero in proceeding with these changes to the system, and how she continually grew less popular (though that's all inferred at best). Still, the sentiment applies, as he at least watched her change, and do things that she wouldn't normally do, and he had to just assume that she believed what she was doing was right, and perhaps felt pity for her.**

 **So basically, if it's Jason about Tempus, then go with KK, but if it's about Jason, probably from Piper or someone, then go with Raon Lee. If you're looking for which version is superior, go with the latter imo**

 **For the opening of this "season" we're going with "Hikari Are (Let There Be Light)" by BURNOUT SYNDROMES, with no good english translation. I actually wrote a translation for this (not for this project but for myself back when I watched the show it was attached to as it was airing), that and Even If That Is Your Happiness, and was going to post links to google docs so you all could see specific lines and shit, but of course. We've already established that this site sucks huge assloads of bull-** **malarkey.**

 **In any case, the song, I imagine, is Percy going on about what he believes his role is within the group. That he is their light, that he is their protector. the most credity line I translated as "So I'll have embers for you, companions, when you've lost yours" which basically sums up Percy's entire mentality for going on this idiotic suicide mission; he can protect them. Well, turns out he was wrong.**

 **Another note, in the op itself (that's the fifth one for Haikyuu) the final shot of the teams going toward each other; I can't help but picture it as Percy vs Jason, with many astral forms of their friends (visual metaphor of course) standing beside them before they walk and meet each other in the center of the arena to duel. Dude, you have no idea how hype I was for this chapter. If I could have any fight in this story put to animation, including those not written yet, it'd be this one. Because holy fuck! Imagine it like as a Fate/Zero, or Fate/Stay Night UBW battle!**

 **Anyway, last thing; prophecy explanation. We've saved the best for last, as this prophecy relates to both Annabeth's journey, and Tempus', which is why I'm the most proud of this one. Here we go:**

 ** _Journey to the Ancient Land_**

 **Self-explanatory; the questers eventually travel to the Ancient Lands.**

 ** _As wisdom takes the ivory hand_**

 **Another easy one; a child of wisdom (Tempus and Annabeth) brave the trials of the Mark to claim the Athena Parthenos.**

 ** _Through trial and through wind our sea_**

 **Final easy one references that there are indeed planned trials to go through, and that it'll lead them through the Mare Nostrum, or Our Sea.**

 ** _As leaders bleed from a demon'a plea_**

 **For Tempus, this is her going insane after being exposed to Arachne's (the demon) aura of madness and obsession.**

 **For Annabeth, this is in reference to Percy and Jason fighting due to Gluttony (the demon) exerting his powers to force them into conflict.**

 ** _Two minds connect through crimson blight_**

 **For Tempus, this is her understanding the nature of Arachne's condition, that she turned into the hideous monster because of her obsession, and "connected" with her that way.**

 **For Annabeth, this is in reference to Tempus showing her her memories, connecting their minds in a more literal sense.**

 ** _You see the truth that is your light_**

 **For Tempus, this is her realizing the true nature of the quest and of her life. She found a truth, which enlightened her, albeit in a twisted way that probably wasn't for the better.**

 **For Annabeth, you could take this as the same, or, if you read the subtext, then here we go. Go back and read in the last chapter when she rapidly goes into labor. the torches around the room ignite all at once to provide literal light, finally revealing the Athena Parthenos. It was the sharp nosedive into birth that pulled Annabeth from the same rut that Tempus fell into, both providing her with literal lught (the torches), but a more abstract light (her child and the instincts and responsibilities that come with it).**

 ** _The worst of you will be revealed_**

 **For Tempus, it's pretty easy to assume that it's when she goes nuts and murders Zack, though maybe it's in reference to her absolute devotion and obsession with finishing the quest, against both her fellow praetor's and a goddess' guidance.**

 **For Annabeth, it's that she decided to go it alone; that she let her hubris fully take control of her thoughts and actions. Though I'd argue not entirely (you'll see in House of Hades), this was still the wrong move overall, and she was narratively punished for it.**

 ** _As madness reigns and darkness yield_**

 **For Tempus, this is a combination of her succumbing to madness, and her being exposed to the truth (her light lol). That, or it could be he succumbing to madness, and thus she attempts to, once she reaches Camp Jupiter, she tries to lift it up out of the darkness it'd been in since the demigod civil war that they lost, now that she was exposed to a Greek artifact (and when she presumably learned of other demigods like Norse Egyptian, and Celtic from her journey like from Hecate or something). Or it could mean that she succumbs to madness, and Arachne chooses not to kill her, thus making her darkness yield to let her live in agony and apathy. One of those I could consider appropriate responses...or maybe there's one I'm not thinking of.**

 **Regardless, for Annabeth, it could be her witnessing Tempus' fall to insanity, and thus Annabeth is able to make the darkness yield from her prior knowledge of what to expect. Or it could be the combo like with Tempus, or it could reference the chaos that occurred during this four-part finale, and that darkness yielded because Pride's plan ultimately failed, things went completely not according to plan. Or it could be something that I'm not thinking of.**

 **Anyway, that does it for me; this note went on way too long and took me like half an hour to write, so I'm going to leave you here. Once again, discord for chat, I'll update eventually, once I get close to done, on the first chapter. Unfortunately, in addition to me writing it slower...House of Hades is gonna be even bigger than Mark of Athena...**

 **Kill me now lol**

 **(original chapter was 8,520 words long...)**


	46. Meaningless Questions, Important Choices

The mountains were impassable. Unfortunately, it seemed that someone didn't want them going the easy way to Epirus. Luke sighed, holding the railing as the Argo II listed away for the fourth time. "Damn it!" Leo cursed. "Come on, Festus! What wrong?"

The dragon head whirred and creaked apologetically, but Leo wasn't showing any signs of backing down. "Hey, just stop," Luke called up to him, seeing that none of the others would do it. "We're not going to make it."

"Hey!" Leo snapped back. "You're a Titan, right? Go fix whatever is blocking us, will ya?"

"I can't even tell what _it_ is; how would I stop it?" Leo growled at that. "Look, let's just call it today. We'll try again tomorrow or come up with another route," Luke offered.

With another growl and a scowl permanently on his face, Leo hit a few buttons and left the helm, metal arm purposefully bumping into Luke as he went to his room. Luke rubbed his wrist where it hit, but chose not to call him on it. Taking a deep breath, Luke looked around the deck. The only person he saw was Jason, who was deep in meditation, though he knew where the others were. Piper was busy with the baby, who was a girl. The daughter of Aphrodite seemed the most capable of taking care of it, which was their reasoning for basically forcing it on her. Luke was glad that she didn't take it as 'you're doing this because you're the least useful otherwise', which just wasn't true. He was glad he didn't have to explain that to her; he had to help the others enough already.

Luke made his way to the main mast, climbing the ladder to the crow's nest, a design originally suggested by Jason to appeal to Reyna, back when dealing with the camps was their biggest problem. At the very least, it provided a nice secluded spot for their new guest.

Bianca was perched within the crow's nest, inactive. As far as Luke could tell, she wasn't asleep or doing any form of meditation, though it was hard to tell with her blindfold secured over her eyes. She just sat there, face free of emotion. She'd been doing this for most of the day, for the past few days after Rome, peering out over the horizon.

"Hey," Luke greeted as he reached the top. "Feeling any better?" She shook her head lightly, not speaking or even grunting in response. "…Must've taken quite the toll. Last time I saw a demigod so weak was with Percy," he mentioned with a small chuckle. No response. "…Bianca…it's not your fault. You know that, right?"

"…"

"Bianca," he said her name again, more forcefully this time.

"It is my fault," she said finally, he voice scratchy from non-use. "All of this…if I hadn't run off on my own, then you wouldn't have had to save me…that's why you all hate me now…"

"…" Luke didn't have anything to that, because it was mostly true. Even if she hadn't been captured, that didn't necessarily mean they wouldn't have gone after Gluttony while they were at Rome. However, that also meant that Bianca would've presumably been there to help, providing a potential mediator between Percy and Jason to prevent their fight, letting them kill Gluttony without the battle, as well as sooner, so Pride wouldn't have had the opportunity to show up. That, or she would've accompanied Leo and Luke and Grover, and she might've been able to save the latter. "Listen, that doesn't matter anymore."

She turned to face him, finally. "How can you say that?"

"How could I not? I'm the guy who nearly killed you all and doomed the world," he claimed. "If I didn't believe in second chances, then I wouldn't have let you bring me back," Luke offered a hand on her shoulder. "And what you did can't be blamed anyway. You chased after your father's killer; that's a natural response, for a loved one."

"…I didn't love him…he hated me…"

"…That's what I thought about my dad too, until…the end…" he said somberly. "Just goes to show you can't ever tell what parents really think, and you can't assume what we really think either."

"Mm," she grunted. "…how are you so smart?"

Luke chuckled. "It's because I've got a few years on you yet," he lied. "Come on; you need some more ambrosia; it's been a whole day."

With a nod, she followed him down and showed herself to the sick bay, where Piper was with the baby. Luke made his way then over to Jason, who was coming out of meditation. From what he'd heard from Piper, the man used to be able to spend hours, sometimes days, just sitting there and letting his mind go. Now, Jason could barely manage twenty minutes at a time.

"No luck again?" Luke asked. Jason shook his head as he lowered himself to the ground. "Is it helping at all?"

"Helping? More like fixing. And no, it isn't working there either; I'm forever broken," he lamented. "I'm useless…"

"You're still beating yourself up over Rome?" Luke sat beside him. "You were so confident before; what happened?"

"I was humiliated!" the son of Jupiter snapped. "I was toyed with by the enemy!" Luke was going to ask whether he was referring to Percy or Pride, but refrained. "I didn't stand a chance!"

"No, you didn't," Luke agreed. "But that's not to say you never will. Give it time."

"We don't have time!" Jason leapt up to his feet. "We need to get moving and we can't pass these stupid mountains, and we have a baby to protect and Bianca can't fight and-"

"Hey, hey, whoa, calm down," Luke stood up with him, grabbing his shoulders. "Losing your head isn't going to solve anything. I know it's natural to try and force things to happen after some stuff goes down. Trust me, I get it, but that's not what we've got to do."

"You…you're right. You're right…" he repeated it a few more times, calming himself. He chuckled. "Look at me…I'm a wreck…I don't deserve the lead this group…never did…"

"Jason…"

"I want you to take over," he said sadly, as if forcing every word. Luke could understand why; not only was Luke technically a Greek, but he was also the cause of many of his friends' deaths.

"I can't do that."

Jason looked up at him. "Why not? I…I'm giving you free reign to-"

"You shouldn't trust me with any amount of power, Jason," Luke warned, already feeling Kronos' will trying to well up again at the mention of power. "No matter what I say or do, you just can't trust me. You're the only one that can do this."

Jason avoided the man's gaze as he received the lecture. "…What about Leo?"

"What about him?"

"He's already taken over…just let _him_ lead the quest."

"No, he's not-" Luke sighed, realizing he was getting nowhere. The stagnation of the past days had taken their toll on all of them. "Listen, Jason. How about you sleep on it? We're probably going to make a new travel route tomorrow; we'll need you in top shape to plan it out, you know?"

Despondently, Jason nodded and shuffled down to his quarters. He passed Leo's room on the way, the door held open to let air filter through. The room was like a small version of the forge back at Camp Half-Blood. He saw Leo hunched over his desk, where he was fiddling with a new machine, goggles over his eyes. "I think you should-" Jason began, when the boy turned to him, frowning. Jason gestured to the floor, where dozens of Leo's other small projects lay scattered. "You should clean up every once in a while."

Leo didn't remove his goggles, so Jason couldn't see his eyes. "Who're you to tell me what to do?" he questioned to the son of Jupiter. With a shrug, Jason shuffled along without answering, into his own room. Leo, annoyed, returned to his work, hitting a button to close the door so he wouldn't have any other distractions.

Grover's flower lay in a pot by the open window; a permanent reminder.

xxxXXXxxx

After getting the ambrosia, Bianca went straight to her room, which was actually Percy's. Taking a deep breath, she fished out a drachma. She went to the sink, filled it with water, and then splashed it. She didn't know if Iris-Messages worked in the Ancient Land, but she had to hope.

She tossed the coin into the resulting mist. "Show me Winona Solace," she requested. Sure enough, the image of her friend slowly formed, but something was wrong. She was in a battle. "Win?" Bianca got her attention without thinking. Startled, Winona fired a volley of sunlight arrows straight at her. Thankfully, they didn't go through the message.

"Gah! Jeez, what the hell!" she growled, before realizing who it was she was talking to. "Wait, Bianca?!" her eyes lit up, before then immediately lowering into a glare. "You little deserter! Where have you been?! You just disappeared and didn't tell me!"

Bianca recoiled from the outburst. Just then, Winona was attacked. She deflected a spear thrust with her bow and kicked the attacker away. Winona then charged away, the message following her. When she knelt down to talk briefly, she was hiding behind a tree. "Was that a Roman?"

"Yes, it was a Roman. Bianca, _please_ tell me you're safe, that you'll be back okay."

The daughter of Hades cringed. "I, uh…"

"You…you're not coming back, are you?"

"I was gonna, I was, but…some things came up. I was captured. Jason and Percy rescued me, but…Win, why are you fighting with Romans?"

"Because their psycho war goddess killed Grover! And they were harboring _Luke_! And I don't even know _how_ that happened!"

Bianca chuckled nervously. "I…may have had something to do with it."

Winona blinked. "…When I see you next, I'm going to slap you."

"…Alright," she conceded. "But Win, you can't fight with the Romans. We need them. Listen, the Giants-"

Winona's tree was destroyed by a blast from a catapult. "Shit!" she braced herself against the splinters, and fired a round of arrows. Bianca, with her friend's cover gone, saw around two dozen Romans closing in. "Fall back!" she called, and started running. The message, again, followed her.

"Just…stop fighting!" Bianca pleaded.

"Not an option!" Winona ducked under a volley of arrows, and fired back her own, along with help from other Apollo campers. "Bianca, call me later. I can't talk, I-"

The message cut off from an explosion before she could finish. Bianca was left speechless.

xxxXXXxxx

Piper let out a yawn and stretched her back as she took her first breath of fresh air in days. She'd been in the sick bay all that time, making sure the child was cared for. For whatever reason, possibly at the request of one of his cabinmates, Leo had installed everything you'd need for an infant, including artificial milk, which would have to serve for now. Piper didn't see any blood where Annabeth had been when they arrived, so she had to assume the little girl was born from a different method than mortal birth. That said, it made her wonder if the hormones for producing milk were still active with Annabeth, or if a brain child would even need that stuff at all.

Still, better safe than sorry, right? Which is why she was glad Leo installed that stuff. With the baby asleep, Piper was allowed time to unwind, hence why she was on deck at night. She slept intermittently throughout the day, with the baby's schedule, so she wasn't really tired.

She saw one other person there, Luke, who took night watch. There was now a greater need for night watch, with Pride actively hunting them. Only Piper didn't think he was, considering that they hadn't encountered him since Rome. In fact, he was offering so little resistance that one could assume he _wanted_ them to make it to the Necromanteion.

"Hey," Luke greeted. His smile seemed fake, but Piper appreciated it. "Holding up okay?"

"As well as I can be," she replied, thankful that she could speak freely. "What about you and the others?"

And thus the smile vanished; always a great sign. "Not good."

"I figured," she said. "I can handle Jason, I think. Leo…I think…" she sighed. "I don't know what to think about Leo anymore. Ever since Grover died he's been…different."

"Agreed. But hey, it's better than him moping around all day. Even if he gets on my nerves…"

"What about Bianca? She came down for ambrosia, but I haven't seen her since then."

"She's not up here, her room maybe?" Luke guessed, and by her room they meant Percy's, who wasn't here. "I say leave her be; if we're going to have a chance at closing the Doors, we're going to need her in top form," he said, though his tone tapered off, like he didn't believe in what he was saying. That meant he didn't think they could win, or…

"…"

"What?" he noticed her staring.

"Well, you're hiding something," she said matter-of-factly.

"That easy, huh?"

"No; I can just tell when someone puts up a façade; gods know I've been doing it all my life."

Luke chuckled. "…I said our powers are like a muscle, right?" he started. "Well, when you overwork a muscle, bad things can happen. I saw it once, with Percy. He overextended himself, pushed himself to where he nearly died on top of sustaining really bad injuries. He wasn't able to use his powers properly for almost a whole year after that."

"You're thinking Bianca is going through something like that, after being weakened so badly?"

"Yeah, and that's not good."

"I'll say; she's supposed to be crazy strong, right? We could really use that."

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm worried about. When Percy was like this, when he tried to use his powers, they didn't work right. They just got out of his control. Thank the gods he never tried to use too much of it, but…Bianca's powers are…darker."

"Oh…" Piper saw that this was really stressing Luke out. The guy was trying to pick the crew back up single-handedly, and he now also had to worry about their safety from one of their own. "It'll work out," she assured him, and then tried to change the subject. "So, we were here a few days ago. Why haven't we moved?" she pointed to the mountain range.

"We _have_ moved. We've been trying to get over these mountains at different spots in the range, but something is blocking us, like we're being bounced away every time," he explained. Piper made her way to the edge of the ship, toward the mountains. It wasn't them that caught her eye, though. It was a small purple light below them.

"Maybe because the nearby god wants to talk to us first," she pointed at it. Luke joined her at the railing, but seemed to have trouble focusing on what she was pointing at. "You see it too, right? I'm not going stir crazy?" she asked.

"No, I don't see whatever it is that you are, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're going mad," he said. "It isn't unheard of for gods to only appear to those that they want to meet with, especially if they're powerful gods. But…I thought they all left the Ancient Lands."

"Apparently not this one, whoever they are. Hey, can you give me a lift down there?" Luke nodded, and picked her up. "And don't get any weird ideas," she said, realizing how compromising a position she just put herself in. Luke chuckled.

"You're a bit young for my tastes," he assured. Without another word, he jumped to the nearest landing. Piper noticed the ball of light drift away, and once she was set down, she started jogging after it, trailed by Luke.

Eventually, they came to the entrance of a cave, which originally appeared as another part of a random rock face, with the Mist obscuring the entrance. Upon getting to the cave, Luke stopped. Piper stopped with him, confused. She quickly figured that he didn't want to go in due to his connection with the Titans and his general distrust of the gods, but instead, he clutched his head and keeled over upon nearing it. Piper rushed to his side.

"What's wrong?" she demanded, grabbing his shoulder.

"It's him…" Luke strained. "He's…he's stronger near them…" he groaned with effort, trying to force Kronos' will from taking over again. "Quick, you need to knock me out! Now!"

Piper nodded, drew New Side, and bashed the hilt into Luke's temple. He crumpled to the ground, with Kronos doing so along with him. Taking a deep breath, Piper's only thought on the matter was how she was going to get back up to the Argo II.

" _Well…I guess I can ask whoever called for some help,"_ she thought, leaving Luke propped up against the wall, and then entering the cave.

Upon entering the dark corridor, the entrance disappeared from view, though it's not like the night offered much light. Piper kept New Side drawn, both for light and on the off-chance that this particular god wasn't keen on them trying to get over what Piper assumed were their mountains. Given that they summoned her, however, this fear wasn't very well-realized.

That didn't stop Piper from being put off at the woman she found. Soon, the corridor opened up to a small spherical room, like a rock-igloo. As said, a woman was there, just sitting and waiting for Piper to arrive. She wore something resembling what Esmerelda wore in Disney's Hunchback movie, only with more vibrant coloring of deep purples and blues. Her face, Piper couldn't focus on, like she didn't want the demigod to know what exactly she looked like. "You…" she tried to wipe the Charmspeak from her voice, so as not to disrespect the god, but she wasn't sure how successful she was. "You called?"

"That I did, young Speaker," her voice seemed somewhat reverent, which was odd to Piper, coming from a god. "I've been waiting a long time for you to come."

"Like…how long?"

"Oh, a few hundred years is all," the woman chuckled. "My name is Hecate, of the Mist," she claimed, and on cue, her hands appeared, holding two torches. One held Greek fire, the other the Roman flower. "Neither Greek nor Roman, god nor Titan. I simply am."

"Okay…" she held out the 'ay' part. "Um…did you need something? Because, we could use some stuff from you."

"Well, there's a choice; to help you or to not. Interesting options, because if I don't, then you'll all surely die. Without the death child, you're doomed!" she giggled to herself. Piper chuckled along with her to put up an appearance.

"And if you _do_ help us?"

"Then you might survive!"

"Cool, let's go with that one then. Um…but, you summoned me here. Did you have anything in mind, because we're at a loss."

"Yes, I suppose it _is_ like you Greeks to attempt the most direct path, no matter how many times you have to beat your head against the wall. If your Aduro friend wasn't so submissive, he might've brought that up to you by now!"

"You know what's happened to us?"

"Of course I know; my acolytes are everywhere. And besides, the Mist keeps all of us gods informed. The rest are lucky I like them," she growled seductively. "They've always been feisty," her gaze shifted to Piper. "And I like feisty."

Piper tried to ignore the comment, especially as Hecate directed it toward her at the end. "Right, so…you were saying you had a plan?"

"I do! So, here are your options: you can head south and travel through the Mediterranean, and then swing back up to Epirus; that'll get you there the fastest."

"…Or…?"

" _Or_ you can head north, and visit my friend in Venice, though you might want to stop in Bologna for a gift for him, you know?"

"Your…friend?"

"Yes, he should be able to help you out…somehow."

" _Not very specific, is she?"_ Piper thought to herself. Unfortunately, the fact was that they _needed_ to get to the Doors as fast as possible. But something in her gut told Piper that heading south wasn't the best option.

"We'll go north," she announced. "How can your friend help, and who is he?"

Hecate didn't answer her questions. "Oh, glorious! If you'd have gone south, you'd be heading into Pontus' territory; he was keen on staying in his homeland for his slumber. If he sensed so many powerful demigods, he might've woken up both early _and_ cranky."

"So…we would've died."

"Precisely! But you didn't. Alright, run along now," Hecate waved her away. "I have things to do and people to- oh! I almost forgot!"

"Forgot? Forgot what?"

"You! You're the least stand-out of your little band up there, you know?" she laughed, but it didn't amuse Piper. "Anyway, you're going to play a big role in what's to come. I expect you to be prepared."

"…A big role?" Piper was confused, arms crossed. "What do you mean? All I can do is practice with Luke and-"

"Your Charmspeak," Hecate interrupted, her voice halting all of Piper's thoughts; it'd changed to something lower, older. "Will be useless to you in the end."

The torches grew dimmer at that.

"Now go; you'll have a new thingy in your Argo II's scanners to find my friend and his gift. Oh, and one other thing, my but I'm scatter-brained today, stick around Dalmatia for a while as you pass it. That one's not a friend, but he might warn you better all the same."

"What? But-"

"Buh-bye!" with a wave of her hand, Piper's vision blacked out, and when she saw next, both her and Luke were on the deck of the Argo II once again, leaned over the railings, like everything after Piper noticed it was an illusion. It wouldn't have surprised her, given that Hecate would've been an expert at that.

Unlike Piper, though, Luke was unconscious; it seemed _that_ stuck around. With some effort, Piper managed to get him away from the edge, before going to wake up Leo to adjust their course. She knew he'd be eager to get going right away. For Grover's sake.

xxxXXXxxx

Luke awoke not safe on the Argo II, but rather in a dark void. He seemed to be floating there, aimlessly, until he heard a voice. " **Rather empty, isn't it?** " Kronos said. Luke blinked, and he was floating right there in front of Luke, in Luke's body. His eyes were pure gold. " **I suppose this is what is in all of your mortals' heads?** "

"What the hell is this? Why are you in my body? Did you…take over?"

Kronos frowned, as if being reminded of his relative lack of power. " **No, this is all in your head as you sleep. Unfortunately. As for why I take this form, I have you to thank for that, boy.** "

"The Heart of Olympus," Luke guessed. "It fused our souls together."

" **Indeed.** "

"Well…why are you here? Why come out now? I have…so many questions. Not half of them you'll answer, I bet."

Kronos chuckled. " **You demigods, always assuming…ask your questions. We have nothing better to do in this place,** " he waved his hand. Luke blinked, surprised at the Titan Lord's cooperativeness. " **Do not mistake this as kindness, boy. You are just as much my enemy as the Giants and the Titan Slayer. Though for now, we must work together. Only you two do I give that distinction; all others are expendable.** "

"The enemy of my enemy, right?"

" **It appears that way.** "

"Alright, then…let's start with why I can feel you more now than before."

" **It's because the barrier is all but destroyed between us,** " he explained. " **After that first time when you lost control, my channel opened, and the flood occurred. Now, all it takes is another small slip up. Of course, another immortal's presence could do the trick as well,** " he said.

"Yeah, I gathered," Luke frowned, not liking how confident Kronos was that it'd happen again. "You're _not_ getting out again."

" **Let's not jump to any conclusions about the future, boy. In fact, I sense that you'll be at the end of your rope** _ **very soon**_ **.** "

"Moving on," Luke said quickly. "I thought you were afraid of the Giants. They're so much more powerful than you or the gods. Why fight them?"

" **You presume to think they're invincible. If my time in this world has taught me anything, it's that** _ **no one**_ **in invincible. And so long as that is the case, then I will** _ **always**_ **have a chance to come out on top. Especially if my distain for them would push me to, say, forcibly control the body of a mortal boy.** "

Luke growled. "I said you're _not_ getting out!" he snapped, his voice rising to a yell.

" **All the same, if you're finished with your meaningless questions, I have a few of my own. Why in Chaos' name are you allowing that imp to take command of your pathetic group? He is** _ **nothing**_ **, and he will always be** _ **nothing**_ **.** "

"I don't know what you're talking about. Jason is-"

" **And there is another problem. The boy could be so useful to me, and yet in this state he's as worthless as the rest of them. He always showed such promise, even for an Aduro.** "

"He'll get over it," Luke said. "People need time to get over traumatic events. And what do you care anyway? Gods! Why am I even listening to you? You're a murderous psychopathic monster! You killed my friends!"

Kronos frowned. If Luke wasn't mistaken, it seemed like the Titan Lord was genuinely hurt by the scathing remark. That or he was thinking what an idiot Luke was. " **Even the worst of men become wise when they learn to accept their mistakes,** " he said. " **Hence why they should listen to you.** "

Without another word, Kronos disappeared, leaving Luke alone until he woke up.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey all! thanks so much for reading, and sorry about the long-ish wait. I underestimated how long it would take to write House of Hades, and I'm honestly only about two-thirds of the way done even as I post this. Still, I've got til chapter 57 written now, planning around chapter 60-63 being the end of House of Hades.**

 **Some logistics; my current goal is to write three chapters a week or more, but I'm also working on my own book simultaneously, so if I flub (especially with Spider-Man coming out in like two or three days) I'm going to have to ask you to bear with me. Chapter 58 will mark the biggest turning point, so if I take a small break to finish HoH, it'll be there. I'll give you guys more notice as we approach that chapter.**

 **Until then, though, daily uploads galore! And hey, while you're here, why not shoot me review?**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys all tomorrow!**


	47. A No-Win Scenario

The fall was both agonizingly long and disturbingly short, like a dream. Annabeth clung to Percy like her life depended on it, as they fell along a massive chasm which slowly warped into a narrow tube, the walls changing slowly from stone and brick, to something resembling flesh, with a blood-like substance spurting onto them from time to time. Neither spoke a word; the roar of wind in their ears as they fell was enough to discourage that.

" _I'm_ _going to die,_ " Annabeth thought, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall from that realization. " _I'm going to die and no one is going to remember me."_

The thought was ridiculous, but, taken over by her emotions, Annabeth let all of her sorrow and guilt into her head.

"We're going to be fine," Percy assured, having to yell over the wind. His voice, however muffled from the background noise, helped comfort Annabeth enough to think, especially when the tube opened up into another massive room. Only it wasn't a room, because rooms have walls. This place was endless.

Red was the primary color they saw as they fell; red floors, red water, red trees. Like Earth had been spray-painted red. Immediately upon entering this place, their breathing became shallow; the air, or what could be passed as air, was so full of nasty that they couldn't even inhale without gagging.

Annabeth looked downward, supposing she'd see where they'd add another splash of red to the ground, but instead, she saw the glorious sight of moving water. "Percy!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"I see it!" he said, and willed the river up to catch them providing a safe way into the water. Upon submerging, Percy immediately made it so Annabeth could breathe, before quickly willing them back up the surface of the shockingly deep river they landed in.

Then they started hearing the voices.

" _You failed."_

" _You_ should _be cast down here."_

" _You never deserved her."_

"Oh gods…" Percy groaned, his powers momentarily getting away from him as the voices bombarded him with negative thoughts. They sunk a bit, despite Annabeth's swimming. It was like the river didn't want them to leave. Annabeth heard the voices too.

" _This is all your fault."_

" _They're all going to die because of you."_

" _You're useless."_

"Percy! Keep pushing! We need to get out of here!" Annabeth called as she rose above the water briefly, before being sucked back down.

"I…" the son of Poseidon didn't respond.

"Percy!" Annabeth plunged beneath the surface, with Percy following. Annabeth held her breath as long as she could, but with the voices urging her to die, she soon found herself choking. Seeing that seemed to snap Percy out of his haze a bit. He formed a bubble around them as they drifted. It didn't block out the voices, but they could both breathe, at least.

"You hear them too, right?" he asked, making sure he wasn't going crazy.

"Yes, Percy," Annabeth recalled her research at Camp Jupiter. "This is the River Cocytus. It feeds all of the negative thoughts you don't want to hear, tries to make you give up and…" Annabeth trailed off, as she heard in her head, " _Tempus would've never liked you, just like everybody else."_

"Then…we need to get out…before…" Percy seemed to be having difficulty concentrating. "Annabeth…think of something."

"Me? Why me? What could I possibly-"

"Help me think of names for our baby!" Percy blurted out, desperate. "We never talked about it; you wanted to wait as long as possible to think about it, so you could focus on other things!" he strained with the effort to say that. "I'll start! J-Jack, uh…Mason, Charles…ugh…" he held his head, as he heard, " _Do you even think your kid will like you?"_

Annabeth joined in, snapping him out of it. "What if it's a girl? Silena! I like that name! Uh, Lauren, Caroline, Emily!" she blurted out names, feeling Percy slowly find the will to lift them to the surface.

"Keep going; Mark, Nicolas, Wander, Henry!" he urged.

The two kept saying any name that came to mind, not caring if any of them actually sounded good. Percy's bubble lifted until they were standing on the surface, where they quickly dove off to solid ground.

Unfortunately, this was where their problems continued. The ground hurt, as in, it was sharp, like there was an infinite amount of broken glass on it. They both cried out, not expecting the sudden stinging pain that came from the cuts. Thank the gods it couldn't do anything other than annoy them, with how much they've gone through.

Still, even with a moment to rest, neither's tension eased at all, and it wasn't because they were in Tartarus. Now that they didn't need each other, they had to argue.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Annabeth snapped. "Why the hell did you bust through the ceiling like that?!" Percy seemed reluctant to argue. He didn't know whose eyes were watching. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get that far?! And you _ruined_ it!"

Even though he was reluctant and exhausted, that comment set him off. "I saved your life!" he returned. "Yours and our kid's! Why did you run off on your own?! We _told_ you not to! All of us told you not to go by yourself!"

"You…you wouldn't understand," she claimed.

"Understand what, that you have this sick obsession with doing things by yourself? That your pride acts before your big brain? I know you better than anyone, even you!"

"You obviously don't!" Annabeth stood. "Because it wasn't just pride!" she yelled, before taking a deep breath, a looking down at her feet. "It wasn't just pride…"

Percy stood too. "Really? Then what the hell possessed you put yourself in so much danger?" he said, clearly trying to tone his voice down. By the end, it sounded caring again. "You could've died and I wouldn't have been there to save you, Annabeth. I just…I couldn't bear to-" he held up his hand to comfort her, but she swatted it away.

"You're the _worst_!" she growled. "I had to do it alone because if I didn't, then it wouldn't have meant _anything_! It had to be me, alone, or else-"

"Or else what?"

"Or else Tempus would _never_ be at peace!" she yelled, and things went silent for a time. "She sacrificed so much for the Athena Parthenos, and she couldn't do it; I had to do it in her name, Percy. I had to, for her sake."

"That's _bullshit_ , Annabeth. You never knew her."

"No? I know how much she cared about Jason and Reyna. I know how she always felt about Jason's powers. I know she was strong enough to stand up again after suffering for months in the Mediterranean with the pirates, that she can control Mist, and I knew that she was just like me! She couldn't control her pride either! She might've failed, but this time, with me, it worked!"

"What worked? You had your back to the wall with a giant spider monster standing over you and the damn baby!"

"She helped me! She helped me make our child!" Annabeth claimed. "And you killed her! I could've used that! I could've made her good again, I _know_ it! Then I could've taken the Athena Parthenos easily!" she claimed. Percy wanted to argue with that, but he didn't know enough of the situation to do so. Annabeth continued her rant. "You know what I think your problem is? You're jealous. You're jealous of me, that I can be so independent and so self-sufficient that I could do all of this on my own without _your_ help, that you didn't need to save me anymore! You need me to support your pathetic hero complex! Well I'm sick of it! Because you may need me, but I sure as hell don't need you!" she had taken to yelling in his face, and he took it without argument.

She backed away; stunned at the ferocity in her words, though she was far too stubborn to take them back. But while Annabeth may have been confused at her outburst, Percy was downright heartbroken. His hair had fallen over his eyes, so she couldn't tell what they conveyed, but she saw tears fall from his face. And then she felt…bad.

Annabeth turned away, afraid she'd give in and take it back. "I'm leaving," she announced. "I'm not dying here."

And then, without another word, she stormed off, leaving Percy standing there, dumb-struck by the fierce remarks they exchanged. The son of Poseidon sat back down, not sure what to do.

" _Hey, aren't you going after her?"_ Riptide questioned. Percy didn't answer, even in his head. " _Hello? Is anyone in there?"_

"No, nobody's in there," a voice came from behind Percy, but he didn't turn to see who it was. The man, or at least the beast in the form of a man, walked into Percy's view. He appeared just as fleshy as the world around them, and it didn't take Percy long to figure out who this was.

"Tartarus," Percy said.

"The one and only," he said, sitting beside Percy. "Well, technically there's me and then there's this place. But we're also the same, so, there's that too."

"…" the son of Poseidon returned his gaze downward.

"Looking down already ain't a good thing, little demigod," Tartarus mentioned. "See here in Tartarus, you're done. Kiss your life goodbye. And the worst part? When you die, your soul just stays here and gets eaten up by whatever monster comes across it!"

"…"

Tartarus frowned. "Hey, anyone in there?" he found himself repeating Riptide's question.

" _I think he's broken,"_ the sword mentioned.

"Yeah, no kidding. Talk about Blank with a capital 'B'…" the Protogenos scratched his head in confusion, not used to this situation. "You _do_ know that you're slowly dying already, right? So you should, you know, get a move on?"

"…"

"No seriously, kid. Like the air here will kill you. And your weapons don't work. Stuff like that, you know?"

"…"

" _Oh yeah, don't use me,"_ Riptide said.

Tartarus coughed awkwardly. "Well…heh," he chuckled. "Putting on a brave act is cool and all, but I'll make sure it doesn't last. Wouldn't be much fun to let you go without breaking you first."

"…"

"Hey!" he snapped. "Are you even listening to me?"

"…"

"It's a no-win scenario here! You aren't gonna challenge that?"

"…"

Tartarus' lip quivered in anger. " _I'd give it up if I were you,"_ Riptide suggested.

"Yeah, jeez…is he always this boring?"

" _I mean, sometimes. He's mostly angst, especially lately. You have_ no _idea how annoying his fights with the Roman got the past few days."_

"I can imagine. Well, kid, if you're not even gonna-" Percy stood suddenly, and started walking without speaking a word. Tartarus blinked, surprised. "Where the hell are you going?" he demanded, but the demigod didn't answer. "Well…that didn't go as planned. Oh well. Guess I'll let him break himself then."

xxxXXXxxx

After leaving Percy, Annabeth set off with the flow of the river. Her wrist and ankle throbbed from the final trials, but she kept herself moving. She'd be lying if she said hunger wasn't a major factor in her pushing herself. She didn't know how long they'd been falling, but before the fall, she hadn't eaten in about six hours.

As well, Annabeth didn't know if it was due to her hunger, but her body felt sluggish, even considering her injuries, like the air here was thicker, taking more energy to move through. Taking labored breaths, she huffed on.

Annabeth noticed a drop-off ahead, and when she came up to it, saw the river drop into a hellish waterfall. The water definitely didn't act like water when it landed, seeming to crystalize in the air before shattering at the bottom. It made Annabeth wonder if all of this ground she was walking on was broken, crystalized death water. Even still, though, the river continued, seeming to magically gain water at the bottom from nowhere, to continue flowing downstream, looking like the Grand Canyon if it was claustrophobic. To her left, Annabeth saw a path which went along the cliff, and decided that that was her best bet.

Her only other option would've been the use the unbreakable string, which she still had on her, tied around her bad hand, to rappel down the side, but she didn't think it was nearly long enough to make it to where she could land safely, especially with her injured ankle.

The path curved ahead, and the further along she got, Annabeth noticed, the shallower the drop became, to the point where it looked like an almost walkable slope. She came up around the bend, with the slope to her right and a pile of rocks to her left. The river plunged stayed in the canyon, thank the gods, so as long as she followed it, she'd be fine. " _Or so you hope,"_ her more cynical side figured the river wasn't going to lead her anywhere.

Something told her it would, though. It was just a feeling in her gut.

Suddenly, Annabeth heard voices and crackling fire. Instinctually, she ducked into the pile of rocks; stifling a whimper from the searing pain the sudden movement brought her leg. She listened close, but the voices never grew louder. Cautiously, Annabeth crept forward, trying to stay as light on her feet as possible. Peering around the corner, Annabeth saw a miracle.

A monster encampment. And they were all _eating_! Eating what? Who cares? Annabeth would eat raw Cyclops fat if it meant her stomach could be full again. She licked her lips greedily, quickly forming a plan. There were five monsters, all fodder as far as she was concerned, but the name Scythian Drachanae crept into her mind, along with bitter thoughts about the Titans.

The encampment saw three relaxing by the fire, with one looking out from an elevated platform, looking bored and not very attentive, with a final monster on an outcropping that extended out over the slope down into…well, it's not a canyon anymore, as much as it is a valley, toward the river.

Figuring that the eaters wouldn't notice her, Annabeth snuck over to the first lookout, the elevated one, climbed up to them, and drew Trident. Without waiting, she reared back and plunged the blade into the monster's throat. But the monster wasn't harmed.

In fact, Trident didn't work at all as intended. In _fact_ , Trident was no more. Before Annabeth's eyes, the Celestial Bronze dagger melted coolly; even as the molten metal seeped onto her hand she felt no heat. But she did feel the heat as the Drachanae swiped as her with its claws. Confused and now shocked, she let out a cry as she fell off the elevated platform, getting the attention of the others.

What was supposed to be a simple guerilla-style encounter had turned much more dangerous. The three eaters stood, and the first lookout dropped down to grab Annabeth. "Get off me!" she yelled, kicking it away. Pain flared in her bad ankle as she was forced to put pressure on it to kick with her other foot. Her demigod strength was potent as ever, sending the monster flying back into the pile of rocks. By a stroke of luck, the monster hit a fatal point on a sharp edge, making it explode into dust.

Unfortunately, this was Tartarus. Immediately upon bursting into dust, the Drachanae started reforming, doing so within the span of about three seconds.

Now Annabeth had four close, angry monsters approaching her, a fifth one on the way, a broken wrist, injured ankle, a slashed up arm, and no weapon. And no food.

She figured that, provided enough adrenaline (which was already blocking out everything but the danger) she could run away and hide. But then the injury would've been for nothing. Call it pride, but Annabeth dashed toward the group of Drachanae.

She managed to tackle down the two closest to her, and stood to run for some food, but the third caught her hair, slashing her back as it pulled her back. She let out another cry as she punched it away, knocking over the other two again, with the one she'd originally failed to kill quickly scrambling over.

Annabeth ran for the fire, finding a small stick (not of wood but of some other material, probably from the body of a fallen monster) that was on fire on one end. She whirled around and waved it wildly, warding off the second lookout, who'd finally made it to the battle, and the original who'd died and reformed. Quickly, Annabeth grabbed something resembling food, and carried it under her arm. "Stay away from me!" she warned, though she knew she was being herded to the edge of flat ground. She felt her foot slip a little, and knew she had gone as far as possible. "Stay away!" she waved the stick again desperately, but it seemed the monsters here were much less afraid of death than in the mortal world, getting quite close to the demigod despite her having a weapon.

Then they heard a roar from afar. Only it wasn't _that_ far. Annabeth flinched upon hearing it, and figured she knew this monster from her old life. "Why do I hear Nobody!" the voice was gruff and low, booming. Annabeth imagined a monster at least four times her size.

She didn't get the chance to find out, though, as in her distraction, she let the Drachanae get too close. One swatted the stick from her hand, another made a move to grab her, probably to eat her. She did her best to wrestle them off, but she only succeeded in losing her balance. Slipping with her bad foot, Annabeth fell into the slope, smashing her nose on the ground as she fell, before beginning the long tumble.

The glass of the ground dug into her skin as she rolled, unable to get a bearing on which way was up. The Drachanae didn't follow her, disappointed that they'd lost a demigod meal, but quickly returned to what they had left to eat.

In turns out that Tartarus had been playing tricks on her, because the supposed valley to the river wasn't any such thing. True, Annabeth slid down a slope, but only until she tumbled right off another cliff face. The canyon had only narrowed. Annabeth tumbled through the air, her mind numbly registering the various monster camps that saw her and heard her screaming as she fell.

Frantically and without thinking, Annabeth threw the end of the string toward the wall. Bracing herself as well as she could with her other hand, Annabeth jerked to a stop, before violently swinging, bashing her already battered body into the side of the sharp glass cliff. She hit it again from the bounce, the second time truly taking the breath from her, as she couldn't keep up her brace that long.

Annabeth coughed up some of the nasty air of Tartarus, feeling nothing but aching all throughout her body and growing senses of helplessness and hopelessness. She hung there for a while. She didn't know how long she waited to move; her only sense of time were the increasing numbers and volume of monster roars as they began searching for her in some twisted form of a game.

Eventually, though, Annabeth willed herself forward, body numb from either hunger or her simply not caring anymore. She managed to find a bad foothold, and she only stood for a second as she attached the retrieved end of the string to it and began rappelling down until she reached the bottom of the canyon and found the River Cocytus again. Barely having the strength to stand, Annabeth somehow found herself shuffling forward.

Behind her, a horde of monsters followed, in particular, a very bitter one-eyed old friend of Nobody.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay, cards on the table; I really hated T _he House of Hades_ , so much so that it was the reason I gave up entirely on Rick Riordan books. The only reason I even own _The Blood of Olympus_ is because of this project. One of the biggest reasons I didn't like it was because he completely wasted Tartarus and had weak character work, though admittedly some, on Percy and Annabeth because of it. Plus, the other side focused primarily on Hazel, who I also don't like because she's Nico except black and Roman instead of Italian and Greek (and gay).**

 **So, yeah, expect hella changes, if not to the location, than to the context and threat level of everything. The heroes are going to be beaten to hell and back, especially Percy and Annabeth, and they will have no help.**

 **But anyway, enough about my problems, I want to know what you all thought. Why don't you leave a review? And if not or if so, I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	48. Red Like Roses

It only took until midday for the Argo II to make it to Bologna and to get secured. Leo wasted no time in finding out where they were supposed to go. Everyone gathered around the helm, minus Piper, as she was busy with the baby. "Found it," Leo announced. "It's underground, whatever it is."

"Again?" both Luke and Jason let out heavy sighs.

"Yeah, alright, me and Jason can go down and get it," Leo said. Luke raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you were leading the quest," he commented, garnering a glare from both the imp and Jason. He gestured to the son of Jupiter. "What do you think?"

Jason's gaze flitted from Luke to Leo. Whereas Luke was trying to get him to step up, Leo looked to be challenging the son of Jupiter. "I think…whatever Leo says is fine…" he conceded. Luke inwardly sighed.

"Good. Now that that's settled, we can-"

"I'll go too," Bianca announced. The others jumped at her presence, not aware that she'd come up from her room, or down from her perch (wherever she was before they arrived).

"Gah! Jeez! Don't-" Leo started, but Bianca interrupted him.

"It's not underground," she said. "It's in the Labyrinth. And I know the Labyrinth."

"Yeah, the part under the US," Luke mentioned.

"It has a pattern; Minos showed me when he…" she trailed off, not finishing the thought. Luke put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her from the bad memory. "A-anyway, I know how it works. I can lead you through."

Luke turned to Jason, but the boy didn't seem to even be paying attention. Instead, Leo was the one considering, and he nodded. "Alright, sounds good. Luke, can you stay and protect Piper?"

Luke never took his eyes off Jason. "Yeah, sure. Be careful; I'll come looking if you're not back by sunset," he said. With another nod, Leo urged the team to depart. Luke sighed when they left, feeling a frustration that he knew wasn't his. At least, not all of it was. "I know," he said to Kronos. "Kid's out of his league."

xxxXXXxxx

The streets of Bologna would've been beautiful, if not for the urgency of their visit. Leo led them straight through multiple crowded streets and alleyways. Bianca stuck close behind him, while Jason tended to lag behind the others, mumbling some excuse about watching their backs. He wasn't really; he was mostly trying not to be noticed by Leo and his judgmental glare. Eventually, they came to a small wooden door, very out of place, in one of the richer sections of the city. "Here we go," Leo pushed open the door, revealing a corridor leading downward. He lit his hand ablaze and descended. The other followed and soon they were in another corridor, surrounded by Celestial Bronze walls, giving them some light, etched with various myths. "You know the way?" Leo asked Bianca, who stood beside him.

Bianca nodded. "I know how to avoid traps," she said. "Show me," she demanded. Leo held up an iPad showing an empty grid, save for a glowing dot in the first quadrant of the grid. Bianca snatched it from him, and turned away from his light. Carefully, she lifted up one eye of her blindfold to look at it, before walking. She led them down straights, and didn't hesitate at intersections, even when the ones she turned down didn't seem nearly as friendly as the ones she skipped. Though, Jason suspected that they looked friendly to lull wanderers into a false sense of security.

The three's footsteps echoed, those being the only sounds they heard for a long time. Jason found it disturbing, given their track record. Usually some monster would've popped out by now to murder them or kidnap them. "We should be safe down here," Bianca mentioned, as if reading his thoughts. "Monsters usually don't get very far in the Labyrinth."

"But that doesn't rule out the Giants," Jason said. "They could follow us."

As if on cue, they heard a crash behind them. The three froze, waiting for a follow-up. When none came, Jason drew his Regalius, in sword-form, and Bianca drew her sword, Brotherhood, though she was barely able to hold it up, let alone wield it. When they heard nothing still, not even footsteps to warn them of an approaching enemy, Leo spoke. "Let's keep going. It was probably…" he couldn't think of anything realistic that was good. Still, they three started moving again.

"We're close; two more lefts and we'll be close," Bianca said, after looking at the grid once again, with the dot having close closer to the center since when they started. They came to a three-way intersection, and then heard another crash.

This time, fast-approaching footsteps accompanied it. Jason whirled around, but didn't see what was coming until it was on them. Suddenly, the walls around them shattered, the object coming in faster than any of them could see and then darting away after destroying what was around it. The ceiling immediately gave way, and thank the gods they all reacted fast enough to deal with that. Jason threw himself backwards to avoid it, while Leo and Bianca went in the two other directions; Leo left and Bianca forward.

It took a moment for the dust to settle, but Jason couldn't wait that long. He shot to his feet and rush to the collapsed intersection. "Damn it! Hey! Are you guys okay?!"

"Good here," Bianca said, not sounding fazed at all. "Leo?"

"I'm fine," he assured, coughing from the dust. "Bianca, you said two lefts, right?"

"No right at the end," she clarified. "But yeah, this one and another one two intersections down."

"Okay. Alright, I'll get what we came for; you guys meet up at that final intersection if you can. Bianca, you have directions for Jason?"

"Um…" she tried to think. "I don't…think there were any traps around here. Just loop around."

"Got it. I'll still be careful," Jason said. "Please be careful too, guys."

"No worries," Leo assured before dashing off. Bianca shuffled away soon after, and Jason made it a priority to find her; with whatever was that fast, he didn't want her up against it alone. Turning around, Jason jogged back down the corridor, coming to an intersection and turning left. He came to an area that look Victorian in design, and then made another left when he could. Ahead, Jason thought he heard a scuffle. That only made him run faster.

Another left came soon after that, and Jason guessed he was past where the intersection had collapsed. He jogged further, eventually seeing Bianca, thankfully unharmed, shuffling down the hallway. She stopped when she heard him approach. "Oh, thank the gods," he said. She turned to face him, her blindfold off. "Um…I thought-"

"It fell off," she claimed. "There were monsters."

"I thought you said monsters don't make it far down here."

"I never said they couldn't make it this far," she snapped. She quickly regained herself. "Sorry," she said simply. "I get…testy…when my blindfold comes off."

Jason nodded, and started walking. "Are you okay? I know you're not…" he considered his words. "At your best."

"It was only the one that got the jump on me; didn't see what it was before it ran off though," she shrugged. "Oh well."

"…Alright, I'll an ear out. Let's catch up with Leo," he said. Bianca nodded, and started following Jason down the hall. When they came up to an intersection, they stopped. "Alright, which way?"

"…"

"Bianca," he got her attention. She jumped, as if she hadn't heard him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm…right."

"You mean 'alright'?"

"No," she pointed to her right. "Right."

Jason nodded, and started walking. Eventually, after a few more turns, they came to a room which housed all sorts of random stuff, like it was the dumping grounds of the gods. IT didn't seem to matter whether it was Greek or Roman; all items were equally regarded by whoever put them here. Leo was here, rummaging through one of the piles.

"Oh, you caught up," he said. Jason frowned.

"You don't exactly sound enthused," Jason mentioned.

"I had confidence," the smaller boy shrugged.

Sighing, Jason's attention turned to Bianca. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"…Hm?" she turned to him, eyes slowly focusing on the son of Jupiter. Jason repeated the question. "Fine. Better, when I can make another blindfold."

Another nod, as Jason tried to keep his head working. In the back of his thoughts was whatever caused the collapse, and how it hasn't shown up yet. "So what are we looking for?"

"How should _I_ know?" Leo questioned, to which Jason recoiled; it _was_ a pretty stupid question. "It's in this pile. I got it."

Awkwardly, Jason shifted on his feet, not sure what to do. In the end, he took to standing at the edge of room, making sure nothing came through where they did. After a moment or two, Leo rummaged up what looked like a shoe box, and upon opening it, he saw exactly what you'd expect; a pair of shoes. After checking his scanner device, though, which was going crazy, he concluded that they were what Hecate said to retrieve for whatever friend she had in Venice.

"Weird…" Leo said, throwing the box into the small backpack he brought with him. "Okay, we're done here."

"Then let's go back," Jason agreed. They all gathered where they came in and waited for Bianca to go ahead of them. She didn't, and that proved fatal.

In the time it took for her to come out of her own head, something charged into the room from the darkness of the Labyrinth.

It was Bianca.

"Gah!" she had been running, and accidentally tackled Jason to the ground. Once they both recovered, Jason immediately pushed her off.

"What the hell?!" Leo lit his hand ablaze, just in case.

"Guys!" the new Bianca shot to her feet as well. "I fought whatever it was that destroyed that intersection!" she exclaimed, eyes wide with either excitement or terror; with her, it was difficult to tell. Either way, no one moved. "Guys, what…what the hell?" her eyes landed on the old Bianca, who still hadn't come out of her head. "Who is that?"

"That's…you," Jason said. "What in the world…?"

"No, that's not me; _I'm_ me!" the new Bianca claimed, storming over to the old girl. Whoever this girl is, whatever she is, isn't me!"

"Whoa, wait, hold up. Then we've been running around with an imposter?"

"Of course!"

"Well, wait a second…" Jason began. "How do we know _you're_ not the fake? You're acting awfully different from before."

The new Bianca chuckled nervously. "Well, yeah; we got attacked. People tend to get on edge when that happens."

"Well then…what do we do?" Eyes turned to the old Bianca, who had remained locked in her own head. "Hey!" she jumped, coming back to reality. She looked around, confused.

"Who's she?" the old Bianca wondered. "…"

"No reaction?"

"…Shapeshifters aren't unheard of in Roman myth," the old Bianca said absent-mindedly. "Like Proteus, or…I think there might've been a goddess that could do it too, but she died a long time ago. Even Jupiter can do it."

"But I'm _not_ a shapeshifter! It's me!" the new Bianca's voice rose to a yell, before she backpedaled. "I mean, come on."

"But we can't know that," Jason returned. Looking hurt, the new Bianca stood straighter, regaining herself.

"Alright…" she said, moving to stand next to the old Bianca. "Whichever one you think is fake. You kill. If you're right, they'll explode into dust or bleed ichor, right? Assuming it's a god or monster, right?"

"What?"

"You're kidding!" Leo crossed his arms.

"I trust you," Bianca said. Leo moved forward, looking to take the responsibility. "No," she stopped him, and then pointed to Jason. "I trust _you_."

The son of Jupiter froze, heart racing at the responsibility. Since Rome, it was the first time he'd been given charge. Taking several deep breaths, he tried to calm himself. "…And you're sure about this?" he asked, to which both nodded.

Jason closed his eyes and ran through in his head from when he first reunited with the daughter of Hades, trying to find a clue as to which one was the real Bianca. For the life of him, he couldn't, though perhaps that was a side effect of the stress, in addition to him not being at his best the past few days. He opened his eyes again, and looking the two girls up and down, trying to find a flaw. If Jason had to guess how their powers worked, he'd say it was manipulating the Mist so strongly so as to mask their appearance as that of another, kind of like how children of Aphrodite/Venus could change their appearance to a small degree (like for beauty purposes). But if that were the case, they'd have to see the person they were imitating, and if they just saw Bianca, and only for a few seconds, then the imitation couldn't have been perfect, could it?

Then again, this thing had probably been alive for eons, meaning they would've gotten _really_ good at this by now. So that was probably out.

Both Bianca's got really still, holding their breath as they waited for Jason's decision. That told Jason two things; first was that the Bianca who proposed this _wasn't_ as sure as she claimed, and that whoever was imitating her was also scared of his decision.

In the end, that decision came to one thing that he pointed out earlier; that this new Bianca was acting very differently than how the Bianca he knew to be real had acted before the collapse. Jason took a deep breath, and stepped toward them, blade ready.

He thrust his blade forward, and felt her bones scrape against the blade. Bianca crumpled to her knees in shock, as blood, red like roses, seeped from her wound. "Wrong," the fake said, drawing her sword from a sheathe identical to the real Bianca's, though this blade was a Roman gladius once unsheathed, masked by the Mist in its sheathe. "The call of the dead will start the end, the fire to burn in madness send."

Jason wasn't paying attention to the faker, though, as he knelt down with Bianca, horrified at what he'd just done. When he removed his blade from her body, her hands immediately shot to the wound in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. With her hands, so too did her shadows, blocking off the wound, if not the pain. Jason tried to help, but her shadows instinctually whipped his hands away, threatening to take more extreme measures if he didn't back off.

The faker raised her blade, still in Bianca's form, to kill Jason (in actuality it would've knocked him out with the hilt). "Oh no, you don't!" Leo leapt into action, lighting his fist ablaze to get the threat away from Jason and Bianca. Calmly, the faker turned to him, and changed. It was a seamless transition, as the image blurred out of and back into place, making a kind of shimmering sound. When it blurred back to clear, Grover was grinning at the imp.

"What are you doin', man?" the faker wondered, making Leo stop in his tracks. In a flash, the faker slashed toward Leo with enough force to send a wave of air toward him as well, though the son of Hephaestus just barely raised his metal arm to block the strike, instead being blasted away into a pile of junk. The faker returned their attention to Jason, but noticed that something had changed. The light in the room had dimmed, considerably so, and Jason's body seemed to be glowing, as if he pulled all the light from the room into himself. He whipped his head toward the faker, eyes white and streaking out lightning, teeth bared.

"I'm going to _kill_ you!" he vowed, lightning seeping from his body. The faker stumbled backwards, feeling something within them change. Their form shimmered from one person to another, from Leo, to Bianca again, to Jason, before finally shimmering into the form of the goddess Bellona. The faker, through this rampant shift in identity, shot their free hand to their head, clutching it as if it were about to split open.

Leo stumbled out of the pile of trash. "You bastard… _you're_ the one that killed him…" he mumbled, building up power within himself. "Time to bust out the big guns."

He flexed his fingers as energy built up in his metal palm, waiting to let loose a massive blast of fire. He shot toward the faker, guns blazing, so to speak. He thrust his hand forward and let off a colossal burst of flames, so powerful that it scorched the entirety of the room behind them, searing into it and making the room bigger from burning through the walls ceiling and floor.

The blast was enough to bring Jason back to rightful thinking before he went overboard and buried them alive. Seeing no sign of the faker after the attack, he had to assume they'd been killed or they'd escaped. Either way…

"Leo, we need to get out of here," Jason said as the younger boy started to calm down. Releasing that much power seemed to take a lot out of him. Numbly, he nodded, lighting his hand ablaze and going first, trusting Jason to carrying Bianca. Thankfully, he shadows didn't prevent him from picking her up, though that was hard enough with her writhing and screams of pain. For her weakness, Jason thought, she sure still could put up a fight when she was cornered.

The two ran back, following Leo's scanner for Festus, and somehow, they came out right where they'd come in. Jason didn't know if Leo had memorized the way or input it into his scanner thing, but the gods know he was sure glad they made it, and were now truly on their way back to the Argo II.

As they ran, Jason felt a steady stream of blood drip onto his legs as he ran, with more staining his shirt; she wasn't going to last long if they couldn't treat her.

Thankfully, it didn't take long after they left the Labyrinth for them to reach the Argo II. Luke was there waiting for them, and looked completely unprepared for what they brought back. "What the hell happened?!" he demanded, taking Bianca from Jason and rushing away before they answered. Leo ran to the controls, eager to get out of Bologna and to Hecate's friend, who could hopefully help them. Jason followed Luke and explained the situation.

The two men burst into the sick bay, where Piper shot to her feet at the sudden noise. Her eyes seemed to bug out a bit when she saw the blood, but quickly regained herself and helped Jason prepare a bed and start cleaning Bianca up. "I-I don't know how to stop the bleeding; she won't let me!" Jason exclaimed, as Piper did her best to wipe the mess up around the wound, though she wasn't very successful. "At this rate she'll bleed out before we can treat her!"

" _She looks like she only has half an hour as it is…"_ Piper thought, guessing she's been bleeding this profusely since the wound occurred, and gods know how long they'd ran to get back here.

"Shit! Okay, okay, um…" Luke wracked his brain, and then got an idea. "I can…slow down time around us, but…I don't know how long I can keep that up."

"It's our only option," Jason said, obviously distressed.

Luke nodded, though he was hesitant. "Alright, then…take the baby, leave the room; I think I can contain it to the sick bay. I don't…I wouldn't risk coming back here before we get to Venice…"

"You won't…die, will you?"

"I don't think so, but…I won't be able to help in Venice, if you need it. But you can handle things once we get there," Luke claimed, feeling a pressure behind his eye from Kronos disagreeing. Jason seemed about to disagree as well, but Luke stopped him, snapped at him really, frustrated at the man. "You can _handle_ things once we get there. Now go."

Piper tugged on the son of Jupiter's arm, and led him out, wheeling the baby cage out with the little girl in it, to be taken to Piper's room. Jason returned to the deck once he left, though. His mind was hazy, stuck in a seemingly endless funk. Piper came up shortly after to check on him. He barely responded at first, as she tried to make small talk. He didn't return her sign language, already a bad sign (no pun intended), just grunting in response to her statements. Then she asked a question.

'Are you alright?'

And then, it was as if the floodgates had opened. Jason dropped to his knees, as all of the guilt and fear and regret that had accumulated since they left New Rome came pouring out all at once. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as Piper brought him into a hug.

" _I shouldn't be crying,"_ he told himself, even as the tears continued to fall. " _I can't afford to cry, to be weak…but this is…how I've always been…"_

He pushed Piper away, and wiped his tears from his cheeks, even as more replaced him. "…I've always had someone else ahead of me," he choked out, throat tight form trying to hold back his sorrows. "First Tempus, then Reyna…Percy was always ahead of me, from the minute I got to camp…every time I've taken charge or…acted on my own…I always…" images of his fight with Krios flashed in Jason's mind. "Failed…I was fine being the follower…but I always wanted to lead and make a difference in the world…I just…never could, even with all of the opportunities I've had. And now, when I was chosen to lead this quest that could save the world…I blow it, every step of the way. I'm humiliated and beaten without any effort!" he voice rose to a yell.

Piper took out her pen, and spelled out 'Pride'.

"I'm not talking about Pride!" he snapped. "Percy beat me in every way I care about! He's stronger than me! He's more of a hero than me! He was willing to do _anything_ to make sure we won and I ruined it! I ruined everything! And he's a _monster_! How am I supposed to feel about that? That he proved me an idiot and that he was better than me in every way! Do I have to become like him to match him? I don't- I don't…" he trailed off, taking a deep breath. Piper took his hand, and he gripped it, hard enough to make it turn purple. He wanted her to pull away, but she didn't, and that was exactly the kind of commitment he needed at that moment. She wasn't going anywhere; he could say anything. "I just…" a fresh wave of tears fell. "I…never realized how small I was, in all of this…how weak and insignificant I am…"

With that, he'd said his mind. He buried his face into her chest and sobbed. And she stayed there. Ever-Loyal-Piper stayed by his side.

xxxXXXxxx

A dark place…

"Pitiful…" Pride muttered as the footsteps approached. Envy stumbled into the room, barely able to stand, but not from the attack they sustained. "What are you doing here?"

Envy's form shimmered from one to another; it'd been Envy that attacked the crew in Bologna. It was unable to keep any one for very long, but this was the only way it could speak. "I…I remember," it said, hand clutched to its face, its other pressed against the wall to keep from falling down.

"You have failed me twice now; you expect me to care?" Pride stepped closer. Envy looked up at him.

"I…remember…" it repeated, form shifting three times as it said it.

"You are going to go back and finish the job; kill all but the son of Jupiter. Now!"

"I remember!" Envy said louder. "I remember who I am!"

"You are no one!" Pride roared, making the artificial Giant quiver in fear, seeming to shrink in itself. "And you are nothing! I am your _God_ , and you will do as I say, or so help me I will _strike_ you down in righteous judgment!"

Envy cowered away for a moment behind their arm, before scurrying off to obey their God's will. One did not disobey their simultaneous owner and deity.

Greed chuckled from the side of the room. "Kinda harsh…" he mentioned, though quickly shut up when Pride turned to him in warning. When the King turned away, though, Greed continued chuckling, legs kicked up onto the nearby table. Pride grumbled a bit, before leaving as well, to prepare the ceremony.

Envy stumbled through the Labyrinth, which it used to get around from place to place so quickly. It mumbled two lines to itself over and over, as if some kind of mantra. "As fallen and branded take sorrowful heed, the Aduro twists and writhes and bleeds."

After it ran a sufficient distance, it stopped and took out its book and pen. It wrote:

"Envy

One of two Giants made artificially by Porphyrion/Pride, Envy was meant to be his agent in the world. Molded using the body of a demigod, Envy underwent immense torture and induced amnesia so as to become the perfect pawn with absolute loyalty. Envy was given two abilities. First, to assume the form of any humanoid it has seen, whether in this life or the last, with perfect accuracy; taken from children of Aphrodite/Venus and Hecate, in beauty manipulation for finer points, and manipulation of Mist for the rough outline. Its second ability has a very specific use. A mad mix of powers of the seed of Nemesis, Apollo, and Demeter, Envy can forcibly steal life energy from anything around it, which causes immense pain to the one who it is stolen from. Then, it is able to use the energy in any way it sees fit; an energy blast, usually deadly, willing it into someone or something else, using it to stimulate and revive dead tissue, among other uses.

Strengths: ultimate espionage. With the power to perfectly mimic anyone, Envy can fit in nearly anywhere in the world should the need arise. While at a disadvantage against multiple opponents in a direct, unplanned encounter, Envy could easily escape before coming under significant harm, and then try again at a later time. As a side effect of the type of demigod that was used as a mold, Envy's intelligence is well above average, allowing it to come up with plans for victory near instantaneously, unless caught off-guard.

Weaknesses: its past. As evidenced recently, the induced amnesia isn't perfect; upon a successful trigger Envy's memories resurface violently, causing immense mental pressure which greatly weakens the Giant's capabilities. In addition, due to using the body of a demigod, it is only as durable as a demigod. While imbued with Gigantic strength, such strength, if not properly tempered, could easily break Envy's body, as could an attack that would kill a demigod. Thus, direct combat should be avoided.

General Personality traits include: needs further research after the resurface of its memories. Estimation; apathy, coldness, attempts to distance itself from the situation as they're forced to do things they don't want to do anymore.

Suggested strategy of defeat: catch Envy during one of its memory lapses, allowing an easy victory as it can't do much to put up a fight. Failing that, multiple opponents in a direct combat encounter would all but ensure Envy's demise. Even if it manages to hold off one, the others would only need one or two decent shots to finish the job. Assuming Envy's combatants are competent, no casualties should be expected.

Overall chance of being killed during Giant War: 9/10. Given its glaring weaknesses and pitiful rank in the proverbial food chain, Envy is all but guaranteed to be eventually sacrificed for the sake of its God. Even should it be spared, the demigods it's tasked to kill will now be ready for it, and will likely take measures to counteract Envy's unique abilities. While it's unlikely its God would allow it to fall before its purpose is fulfilled, any wounds sustained after that would likely be ignored until it became fatal. Then again, now that Envy's memories are rapidly returning, it might just kill itself out of shame, both that it betrayed its demigod home and its God at the same time.

For Envy's true name is Tempus Brookes."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So I'm not proofreading this tonight because I've been having such bad writer's block all day as I await the new Spider Man to release tonight. I'm actually leavign to pick it up in less than an hour. I'm hyped as fuck.**

 **But about this, we got some good stuff imo, with Jason laying bare his problems that he will in turn solve throughout the remainder of HoH, we get some more stuff with dick-Leo playing hero and playing leader, and of course, we get a writing decision that some people might have a problem with, myself included.**

 **I don't like it that much when writers bring back people who die. It annoys me, because it makes death cease having a consequence. My justification for this is twofold; first it's Greek mythology, where people have come back to life before, and it was technically set up because they mysteriously never found Tempus' body. So then the question, instead of how she was brought back, becomes how did she get from A to B, and hopefully that answer satisfies you.**

 **Or you could just say fuck you and I wouldn't blame you; hell, I'd probably do the same, especially given that I've used the bringing a character back to life thing before and will use it again inevitably int he future. So...yeah**

 **Anyway, enough about me, what did you all think?**

 **And as always, I'll see you tomorrow!**


	49. Terror Lasts

Annabeth's heart had never pounded so painfully in her chest than when she ran from an ever-increasing number of monsters, of all sizes and shapes. Luckily, none seemed to have any special power, at least not that Annabeth stuck around to experience, so they all ended up just chasing her.

She'd long since been herded away from the River Cocytus, barely keeping ahead of the monsters that had cut her off. She found the entrance to a small tunnel complex, which came out to rafters along the cliff's edge, likely a way for monsters without flight to ascend to get to their encampments.

She stopped at a corner of a three-way intersection, where she came from the perpendicular path, hearing voices to her left. Praying to all of the gods she could think of that they didn't hear her labored breathing, Annabeth waited. Eventually, their footsteps approached. Taking in a sharp breath and holding it, Annabeth closed her eyes. By some miracle, the monsters passed without noticing her, charging down the other path.

With the immediate danger gone, and having gained enough distance from her many turns and backpedals within the tunnel, Annabeth leaned against the wall and let out a groan as she slid down to sit. Every part of her body ached, bad. It wasn't like a day-of-training-at-Camp-Jupiter kind of ache, but a true, unadulterated I'm-at-the-very-end-of-my-rope kind of ache. Not only that, but her wrist had been even more badly damaged from her having to use the string, which tugged and squeezed her already shattered hand, and her foot, from its use, wasn't getting any better.

Laughing to herself, Annabeth realized that she had no idea how long she'd been down in Tartarus. It could've been less than a day, it could've been a month; she honestly couldn't tell. What she could tell was that if she ever got cornered, she'd be toast.

And so that's exactly what happened, but that's skipping ahead.

With another groan, Annabeth stood, trying to put as much weight on her good foot as possible. It didn't help much. Still, she made her way forward, heading left where the monsters had been originally. Eventually, she found herself going downward (she'd been sloping upward consistently since she entered the tunnel complex), and eventually came out at a rampart close to the bottom of the canyon. It was here that she once again heard that roar; the one from the four-times-bigger-than-her monster she'd heard up when she was first spotted. "Rragh! Hurry and bring Nobody out here!" he demanded, his voice booming across the canyon. Annabeth peered over the edge to see a gigantic man, standing at least twenty feet tall, maybe more. He wasn't a Giant, or at least Annabeth didn't think so, but he was hunched over the entrance to the complex that Annabeth had entered first, at the bottom. Seeing something that big and dangerous so close nearly stopped Annabeth's heart.

Without a weapon, she had absolutely no defense against something like that.

Trying to regain herself, Annabeth turned away, and pounded down the rampart, into the tunnels. Unfortunately, this is where she ran into more monsters. They appeared out of nowhere, and thank the gods they weren't the gorgons or something, no, instead they were more Drachanae. Still, without a weapon, Annabeth couldn't do much against them safely, and she was in no position to take risks in trying to, say, snap their necks.

One of them slashed their claws, catching Annabeth's arm as she brought it up to defend herself. The demigod stumbled backwards, startled at the sudden encounter, as two more came to either side and seized her by the arms and wrists. Pain shot up from her broken wrist, and Annabeth cried out loudly. "Ah, shut up!" one of them hissed, its voice only barely resembling human. Annabeth tried to wriggle free, to no avail. "Ha! This one is so weak; I doubt she had much of any meat on her!"

The Drachanae laughed as they dragged her through the tunnels, back out to the giant monster. The thing was even more hideous up close, teeth nearly brown, nose dripping with snot, and a single blood-shot eye staring down at Annabeth hungrily, foggy like he was already half-blind. And that's not even mentioning his skin, which was more scar tissue than anything.

Annabeth squirmed under his eerie gaze, but the Drachanae held surprisingly strong. "I see a Nobody," he boomed. "Finally! I've been waiting for a gift from above!"

"I-I-I-"

"Shut up!" a Drachanae hissed once again, slapping her, cutting her cheek. The hit made Annabeth dizzy, and gods, was she really that weak?

"I've been waiting a long time to see Nobody die again."

"I-I don't know what you're-"

The Cyclops didn't listen, raising his hand and balling it into a fist, about to crush her. Annabeth acted desperately, yanking with her good arm and dragging the Drachanae into the line of fire. Annabeth let out a cry of pain and the hand that gripped her arm jerked from its body being crushed, before letting go when it burst to dust. With a frustrated roar, the Cyclops made a grab for Annabeth, but the demigod ducked under, letting the monster grab the other Drachanae holding her, who let go, thankfully, much faster.

Annabeth dashed away as fast as her broken body would carry her. Unfortunately, it wasn't far.

The cyclops hurled the monster in his grasp toward the daughter of Athena, and the two bodies crashed into one another. Annabeth tumbled to the ground, rolling along the broken-glass ground long after the thrown Drachanae had burst into dust.

Annabeth tried her best to get to her feet, legs scrambling to get underneath her, but they just wouldn't. She pushed herself away, never having felt more helpless. It was like she was seven years old again, all on her own with the weight of her world on her shoulders.

Wait…how did she…?

Annabeth made it to the wall as her vision spiraled, black dots appearing everywhere, quickly threatening to encroach into her whole field of view. And then, everything changed.

xxxXXXxxx

 _She was in a small warehouse, crawling through some sort of vent, seeing flashes of the horror through gratings she passed. She heard two sets of screams for help, and Annabeth knew they were fake. It was a power of Cyclopes, to imitate voices perfectly. Annabeth knew she was being pursued by a third Cyclops, the one who'd caught Grover. She emerged from the vents, peering over to the fire that burned beneath a cauldron, made to cook unlucky demigods who wandered in._

 _Annabeth saw three people tied up, hanging over the cauldron, ready to be dropped in to cook once the spices had been properly added by the two Cyclops that had captured them. But why were they even there…? Why didn't they have to leave Annabeth all alone?_

 _That's right…they heard about a group of trapped demigods, and Luke had…Luke was there. And so were Thalia and Grover! They had all been captured, tricked by the Cyclopes. Only Annabeth remained, carrying the weight of their lives on her shoulders. Unable to calm herself, Annabeth knew she had to make a move._

 _She stepped toward the fire, but then something stomped behind her. Slowly, she turned, and looked up, seeing a beast four times her size, staring down at her with a single blood-shot eye. Her heart stopped, and she knew that this terror would last her entire life._

xxxXXXxxx

Annabeth remembered she'd made a break for it and somehow freed the others, and then hid in a corner until the fighting was over. She remembered they freed the demigod and brought them on their journey to a camp…it was…Camp…Half-Blood.

But now, her vision returned. Annabeth was facing the wall, cornered, and something stomped behind her. Slowly, she turned, and looked up, seeing a beat four times her size, staring down at her with a single blood-shot eye. Her heart stopped, and she realized that this terror had lasted all her life, until now, when it would end.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks at that realization, as she lacked the strength to stand anymore, let alone run. She didn't make a sound; even in death, she wanted to…

Who was she kidding? She didn't have any dignity, no honor, no pride. She'd abandoned her friends for her own selfishness, and then got petulantly angry at the man who'd fallen into Tartarus with her willingly. From her actions thus far, she didn't even _deserve_ to live.

And yet, she did.

Right as the Cyclops went to deliver the finishing blow, a sword slash cut through his body, from head to toe, cutting him in half, and making him explode into dust. From the dust, Annabeth saw Percy, who'd come to save her. As soon as the dust started reforming, his shot his blade into the ground. It wasn't his Celestial Bronze blade, but one he'd created from his own water. Once impaled, the pile of ashes stopped moving. Annabeth saw that he'd done the same for the other monsters nearby.

It was like a dream or fairy-tale; the beautiful damsel is mere moments from death, when a noble knight-in-shining-armor comes to her rescue, and expects nothing in return. "You…saved me…" she uttered, tears still staining her cheeks.

Percy knelt down, created some water, and lay it over her wounds, all without a word. In moments, her cuts, scrapes, and gashes healed. While her broken bones remained broken, it was as if they were under the effects of a numbing drug. She may not be easily able to move them, but they didn't hurt either. Annabeth suspected that if he'd cut into her skin and inserted the water to apply directly to the bones, it would've healed. But he didn't do that, for obvious reasons.

When he finished, he hoisted her to her feet. "You saved me…" she repeated, hoping to get something from him. "…Why?"

Percy didn't answer the question at first. He turned toward where the River Cocytus was flowing. "You were following this, right? We need to get moving," he said. He turned back to her, and wiped away her tears. "I saved you because I love you," he answered, hooking her good arm around his shoulder and leading her along. Annabeth let it happen, brain numb.

That was it? What kind of an answer was that, after all of the horrible things she'd said and done to him? How could he still love her after that? It didn't make any sense. And yet, it did, at the same time. No matter how hard she tried, Annabeth couldn't recall any other memories than the one she directly experienced when cornered, so she had no idea what they'd been through prior to her giving up her memories.

For all she knew, they may have been through so much, that the stress of this life was just…understood, and any outburst caused by such was…commonplace. Or if not commonplace, than they'd dealt with it before, and could now come at it with the knowledge that what was said didn't hold the entirety of their feelings on that matter they were arguing about, just like when, moments prior, Annabeth had lamented about her actions; those thoughts also didn't encapsulate her true feelings either.

Because Annabeth would still have stuck by her words; she didn't do it just out of pride, at least not entirely for her own; Tempus' pride rode on she shoulders as well. And especially in hindsight, she wasn't sure what she would've done had there been another person with her; would she have broken down and tried to kill them as Tempus had done? To preserve the secret of the Athena Parthenos? Not to mention, assuming she didn't kill them, that would've meant someone else would've had to experience that kind of madness and blood-lust and _evil_. And that wasn't something she wished on anybody, not even her most bitter enemies.

Expect for maybe a Cyclops.

But that brought up another question; why now? Why did she suddenly regain such a specific memory? After racking her brain for a while, Annabeth figured she had too little to go on. "How did Jason regain his memories?" she asked hesitantly. Inwardly, she cringed; that was probably _not_ what he wanted to hear, but she needed to keep her brain moving, at least for a little while longer.

"…" Percy didn't answer at first, giving her an odd look.

"…Out of curiosity. I need to compare," she claimed. This information seemed to pique his interest.

"…It was after he got back from his quest; he said he got them back when he first lost control of his powers, probably violently."

Annabeth nodded, and the two left it at that. In her head, though, wheels were turning.

So, from the description, Annabeth imagined something like an override to the artificial amnesia that Juno/Hera induced in them, probably caused by intense mental stress or physical trauma, or both. So it seemed even the gods can't control them when the chips were down, even when they were willing to be controlled.

Sighing, Annabeth figured it was time to try and talk to him. Maybe not about the elephant in the room, but at least talk. They needed to do so, if they wanted to survive. "We need to change plans," Annabeth announced, taking her arm from around Percy's shoulder. After a small bit of testing, Annabeth tried moving her foot, finding it to be in much better shape than when she last used it, in that she actually _could_ use it. "We'll die before we make it to the doors at this rate."

"If you're worried about monsters, don't be, I-"

"I am," she interrupted. "But that's not what I'm talking about. Even assuming you can fight anything we come across, we'd still die; the air is poisonous to demigods here. Can't you feel it? I don't know about you, but my insides have been turning since we first landed."

"…I talked to Tartarus; he came to see me. He said it was poisonous too. But how do we counteract that?"

"According to what I read in New Rome, the River Phlegethon had healing properties. Long shot, but maybe they meant it protected whoever drank it from the poison?"

"That's as good a plan as any," he agreed. "Only question is where to find it. Any ideas?"

"Yeah. The Phlegethon is also made of fire, that apparently burns hot enough to be felt anywhere in the Underworld; that's why you don't freeze to death inside it."

"I…never noticed."

"You've been in the Underworld?" she asked, to which Percy nodded.

"Hades almost killed me twice, and so did Iapetus, who we knocked down into…Tartarus…"

"Oh boy; can't wait to find him," Annabeth tried to lighten the mood, but it didn't work, with Percy just giving her another odd look. "A-anyway, we should go where it's hottest. Which I think is…" she turned in a circle, and eventually faced away from the River Cocytus. "This way?"

"Might as well try. Worst case, we come back and I can bubble us underwater when we need."

"No thanks; I'd rather not have voices in my head all day," she said. Percy blinked, and then chuckled. It was cute, despite his raggedness, and it sent a wave of relief through Annabeth, that he wasn't so mad as not to find some joy or comedy in their situation. "What?"

"Nothing," he said. "But let's get moving. I don't want to stand around for too long; those monsters are probably chasing us."

And with that, the two set off. It was slower than Annabeth would've liked, but she didn't want to mess up her leg any more than she had to. Throughout the walk, Percy continued applying his healing water to it and her wrist, and with each dose, it seemed to get better and better.

The walk was as pleasant as one could be in Tartarus when both of them were still half-dead from Rome. Only…everything felt wrong. Annabeth couldn't bring herself to feel even that brief relief that Percy felt from his laugh. "Why aren't you yelling at me?" she finally asked the question, stopping in her tracks.

"Hm?" Percy stopped with her.

"You heard me," Annabeth put her hands on her hips.

"Why would I do that?"

"Why?" she scoffed. "Why _wouldn't_ you, after everything that I did?"

"I said my piece," he claimed.

"That's bullshit; what about when I ran off? You don't have anything to say about that?"

"Oh, I have _plenty_ to say, but it wouldn't be useful. You saw what happened; you won't run away again. Why should I yell?" he questioned. "And if we're going to argue, could we do it as we walk, please?"

She scoffed again, but started moving. "You should yell because that's what a normal person would do. A normal person would be mad, like _really_ mad, and they'd yell, and it'd make the person who messed up feel like shit and be even less likely to do it again."

"That's just rationalizing," he call her out. She set her jaw at that, waiting for him to refute her further; that would've been _something_ at least. "…You asked about Jason…does that mean that you got your memories back?"

The daughter of Athena took a deep breath, remembering that he deserved to know why she'd asked. "I got one."

"Well…which one was it?"

"I was alone in a warehouse, and Grover, Luke, and Thalia were captured by Cyclopes. I had to free them."

Percy nodded knowingly. "Yeah, you've told me about that one. Figures that one of your worst would be what comes back to you," he said. "So then I guess you don't remember two summers ago, huh?"

"No. Why, did something happen?"

"You could say that," he said, before fully diving into the story. "We were both at our worst that summer. You were still recovering physically and mentally from when Kronos captured you and tortured you. You were so weak that you couldn't even fight a single monster on your own. And I was kind of…broken. I'd gotten this," he rubbed the scar of his neck, and then lifted his jacket and shirt to show his stomach, revealing that other massive scar on his chest. "And this, both from Atlas. I could barely fight one monster too. We were…an absolute mess. A couple of bad things happened like the sun went out and the Labyrinth made its way to camp, and for some reason the Fates decided to give you a quest, to enter the Labyrinth and save Apollo, who'd been captured. We both went down and…it didn't go well. Everything we did made each other angry, and it got worse when Bianca turned on us. Eventually, I just…gave up, you know? I wanted to die, and…" he took a deep breath. "…But you pulled me out. We went back to camp, more broken than we left and then," he turned to face her, getting really close, and pointing to a tiny scar on his cheek. "You hit me."

"I doubt it was the first time," she mentioned. "And does this story have a point?"

"It was serious. That day we said such…awful things to each other. We started yelling, in the middle of camp," he chuckled sadly. "Going on and on about each other's problems, calling it out for everyone to hear just out of spite…I _never_ want something like that to happen again. I don't want to put you down like that, even if it's to build you back up; I just couldn't bear the thought. Everyone needs their ego curbed a bit and that's fine. That's what we did when we first fell down into this hellhole. But if you're asking me to yell at you for the sake of yelling at you, then the answer is no."

"…"

"…Retort?" he challenged, almost playfully.

"…My retort will be: it's not fair to argue with me, because I'm at a disadvantage because of my amnesia."

"…Okay?"

"So, you should just blindly do whatever I say."

"No."

"Whatever," she waved it off. "Fine, _now_ you've said your piece."

"Uh-huh. Hey, wanna hear some good news? I can feel running water up ahead."

"Thank the gods."

The two soon saw the flames, and then the river itself shortly afterwards. The heat had become so intense as to feel like they'd singed their eyebrows off when they got close. Of course, the flames weren't real, only the heat; even magical water wasn't flammable (unless you add certain chemicals to it, cough, Greek fire, cough). "This is gonna hurt, isn't it?" Percy asked as he willed some water out of the river and to their hands.

"Won't know unless we try."

"…If we die from this, I want you to know that I-"

"1,2,3, go!"

The two shoved the water into their mouths, gulping it down as fast as possible. Immediately, a painful burn formed in the backs of their throats as the water tried to come back up several times, making them gag. Still, somehow, they forced it down, and after a few seconds of it going through their system, they felt…better. Annabeth would daresay she felt good.

The air which had almost made her hurl when they first arrived turned to something sweeter, like the water had altered her sense of smell, and now they could take deep breaths without choking on it as well. Of course, this didn't stop them both from coughing a whole helluva lot from the fiery water they just drank.

"Gods! That tastes worse that Reyna's bumbo!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"I'll take nectar next time please…" Percy agreed. The two looked at each other, and then laughed. The laughter quickly stopped however, as a breeze blew by.

This doesn't sound weird, but in Tartarus, not a single breeze had blown yet. And not only that, but the wind carried with it voices. Percy leapt to his feet, creating a blade of water in defense as he saw three shadows approach them. Then, that three turned to six, and then twelve, and then double and then triple that again. They seemed to literally be shadows, and they didn't seem to want to talk.

"We stood around too long," Percy said."

"We need to move," Annabeth said. She couldn't help but feel a little guilty, as she was the one that slowed them down. "You don't think…Percy, you can't take on all of them."

"I don't have much of a choice; there's about forty across the river too," he said. Sure enough, when she turned around, there were at least three dozen more shadows getting closer by the second, floating over the river. "Get close to me," he ordered, forming a ring around them of water. As they approached, he willed sharpened water, like ice shards but not cold, out to strike them. Within seconds, the first monster was killed, just like if it'd been made of flesh. Only something was wrong. Percy lurched forward in a heap of pain, the ring of water dropping to the ground. "Gah! What the hell?" he held his side. "I feel…"

"Oh gods…Percy, these are the arai!"

"The what?" Percy stood and reformed the ring. He shot off more projectiles, down two more.

"Percy no!" it was too late; he lurched forward again. "Every time you kill one, they'll lay a curse on you! You'll die!"

The son of Poseidon coughed up some blood, from just three. "Any other plans, then?"

"Well, we could…we could," Annabeth couldn't think of anything. These things were moving faster than she could run. Even assuming they could get away, they'd just be followed from their scent, just like with those other monsters chasing them, which would be there likely any minute. They had no choice but to deal with them here and now, or to run from them forever. And that wasn't an option. Annabeth steeled herself. "Give me a weapon; I can take some."

"Not a chance," Percy snapped. "You're not dying, ever."

"But-"

Percy let loose a barrage of projectiles towards the approaching arai, taking down a dozen. Percy coughed up more blood, collapsing to the ground. Annabeth felt a fresh wave of helplessness as Percy pushed himself up to his feet and charged the arai. They all attacked him; those behind them floated right past Annabeth, like they all wanted to die. They probably did, to inflict as many curses on Percy as possible. And kill them he did.

With each kill, his body became more and more sluggish, feral, desperate. With each swing, Percy's arm got weaker, more pain seared into his body until it was unbearable. He dropped to his knees, still having at least twelve to go to kill. With a final push, he released a giant blast of water outward, vaporizing the remaining arai. While the fight would've been a cakewalk had it been any other monster, Percy was all but dead from this encounter. After he saw that they were dead, he dropped the ground and started writhing. Cuts appeared on his body that came from nothing, oozing both his blood and some kind of poisonous green liquid. He cried out in pain, likely attracting any monsters that were camped nearby, in addition to those already chasing them. Annabeth rushed to Percy's side, but in his agony, he swatted her away with his water. She crashed into the ground over ten meters away, but stood anyway and returned to him.

"Percy! Percy!" he called his name over and over, trying to get him to focus on her. "Please, stay with me! You idiot!" she cried. By now, Annabeth was starting to hear the roar of monsters approaching, from all sides. "Damn it! We were just starting to get better, why'd you have to…bah!" she threw her hands up.

"Kill me!" he begged to the sky. "Please kill me!"

"Shut up!" she snapped, slapping him. He probably didn't even feel it. "You don't get to say that!"

Without warning, she bashed her good fist into his temple. She did it again when she saw that it successfully dazed him, and with a third punch, he was unconscious. Percy's body crumpled to the ground, and his cuts stopped appearing, like they appeared as a result of his pain. Annabeth heard the monsters getting closer, and she could just make out their mob on the horizon.

Struggling a bit, she managed to pick him up and start carrying him forward. With the added stress, Annabeth felt her ankle slowly get worse and worse, but she had to keep going. She was already moving slower than the monsters as it was; she couldn't afford to stop and rest. She followed the River Phlegethon as far as she dared before branching off. She needed to try and lose the monsters' trail, because she knew that, even if slowly, they were gaining on her.

She ran and ran for what felt like hours, Percy being unconscious and bleeding on her all the while. Eventually, she found a forest. Yes, in Tartarus. Mind you, it wasn't a forest in the traditional sense. It wasn't made of trees or of mushrooms, like you see in some fictional worlds.

No, this forest was pure shadow. Literally, the shadows sprouted up from the ground and reached up, like they were reaching for the world above, and the light that it was supposed to be attached to.

She ran and ran straight into the strange forest, thinking that nothing could be worse than the situation they were already in. Strangely, when the monsters came, they didn't enter. They stopped following, like they knew the forest was bad news. And it was, for them, or so they had to assume.

Of course, Annabeth didn't know this at first, but eventually she caught on that she'd escaped, and once that realization dawned on her, she allowed herself to slow down. She continued wandering through the shadow woods, hearing several odd noises and seeing odd sights, likely the shadows messing with her head.

The oddest sight came, however, when she stumbled across a cabin which glowed with warmth.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Another day of no proofreading, because I definitely almost forgot to even upload, and I still have to meet my daily word count goal for my book, so...yeah. Already that damn Spider-Man game has ruined my schedule.**

 **In any case, I don't have too much to say about this chapter, other than that it was really fun to write, because I _finally_ let Annabeth have a bit of her memory back! Huzzah!**

 **Oh, and just to piss you all off, this is the last Percy and Annabeth chapter until chapter 55. So haha. Trust me, it was agonizing for me too, because I write everything chronologically, but yeah. All told, their story took the least amount of time to tell, and I needed a certain part to line up with a certain other part later down in House of Hades for things to line up thematically. So yeah.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you all tomorrow, hopefully earlier than this!**


	50. I Don't Need It

The ride to Venice was agonizingly long. Every second stretched to hours as all Jason could think about was that Bianca was slowly bleeding to death in the sick bay, and that there absolutely nothing he could do about it. All that ran through his head were images of her suffering down there, and of Luke suffering down, trying with all of his being to use Kronos' power without giving in control again.

The stress was bad enough that Jason couldn't even meditate, which is something that he _desperately_ needed to do. As it was, he was way too wound up. He felt like he was going to pop from the situation squeezing him from every direction.

It only got worse once they actually got there. Leo didn't even wait to land than did he order Jason to go get Luke. Hesitantly, he opened the door, seeing a kind of wall of golden light in the doorway, slowly seeping out. Inside, Bianca was still, or…no, time was moving so slowly for her that it appeared like she wasn't moving. Luke, however, seemed to have experienced every minute.

He exerted himself so much that there were puddles of sweat that had dripped off of him, drenched him, as if he'd just run the Self-Transcendence 3100-Mile race. "Luke! We're here! We need to-" Jason didn't finish, just saw the man collapse to the ground upon hearing the words. Bianca's choked gargles as she slowly bled out resumed, freezing Jason; a reminder of his weakness.

Luke clawed his way back up to his feet, looking barely able to stand, and yet he did, picked up Bianca, and ran out. Jason was right on his heels.

Leo met them on the deck with his scanner, and the three jumped down to the ground. Thankfully, they could handle the fall, Luke just barely. Upon landing, the tumbled to the ground, looking exhausted but otherwise unharmed. He groaned as he stood again, and picked Bianca back up, who'd been thrown from his arms. The three got plenty of weird looks as they charged down the streets, leaping gaps to shorten the distance where they could and avoid the crowded streets; it _was_ summertime after all, despite the cold.

"This way!" Leo called as he made a sharp turn into an alleyway. It seemed to lead to a small dock, which was a short gap away from the next street. Before they made it, though, they were met with a smell. Smell of the century, as this cloud of green shot out from the water ahead of them, straight into the alley. Luke's eyes widened, knowing what it likely was, but he couldn't speak he was so tired. He expected Jason to blow away the cloud before it got too close, but he didn't. The green mist enveloped them, intoxicating them with a smell of what could only be described as equal parts feet, a landfill, salt water, and Hephaestus. They all coughed, trying to run through it, only to get caught in another cloud. Luke dropped Bianca, having to cover his mouth.

With some effort, he called on Kronos' power again to slow down time, and got everyone out of the funk, ducking them into a nearby building, before resuming time. "Gods!" Jason choked out. "What the hell was that?!" he questioned. Luke shook his head, dropping to the ground. The man was breathing so hard. Jason, for the first time, understood when someone said their heart was beating out of their chest; Luke's chest pulsated in violent bursts in time with his breath. It would surprise Jason that much if he had a heart attack from all of this, though he doubted Kronos would allow him to die.

Leo peered out to the alleyway, seeing what looked like zombie cows, three of them. As they breathed, puffs of green mist came out of their mouths. "Monsters," Leo said. "Some kind of poison breath."

"Katoblepones," Luke wheezed. "Egyptian origin; dangerous…"

"We can't sit here and wait; we _need_ to get Bianca to this 'friend' or she'll die!" Jason exclaimed, seeing the girl in even worse condition. Luke had been covered in her blood from his carrying her, staining his shirt a deep crimson.

"Okay, plan; you take care of them," Leo suggested, pointing to the son of Jupiter. "You can blow away their poison, at least clear us a path, yeah?"

Jason nodded. "I'll do it. Just…please get her help," he helped Luke to his feet, who picked up Bianca. He only imagined what the Titan Lord's host was feeling right now; regret maybe? Either way, the two took off.

Jason exited after, seeing the cows spew a big cloud of green mist, just like what got them last time. Jason shot his wind toward it, bouncing it upwards. He kept pace with the others, pushing the cloud farther and farther back until Leo could blow the cows away with his flames. The three pounded to the dock, and leapt to the opposite one, towards the lower quarter. Or as it may be more aptly called; the sick quarter.

As soon as they got to the main street, they noticed the mass of coughing that came from almost every person around them, like there was a plague going around. " _Those three Katoblepones couldn't have caused off this, could they?"_ Jason thought.

It turns out that they definitely couldn't. Soon, from the crowd and sickness, the three were pushed to the edge. Jason looked over the edge to see more of those cow monsters just hanging out in the water. There must've been dozens of them…no, as Jason looked out, he didn't see an end to them. That could mean there were hundreds, if not thousands in the city. Only that wouldn't make sense, as they'd have run into more, especially now that he'd spotted them and vice versa, and they became aggressive. So then, Jason could only surmise that they only resided in this area of the city.

"Uh, guys…" Jason pointed to the water, and the cows slowly rising out of it and climbing onto the streets. "We've got company."

"Outrun 'em," Leo said simply, continuing to move at his regular pace, though it was slower than before from the crowd. "Come on, we're almost there. We need to keep moving!"

As much as Jason disagreed with the simply strategy of run and hope they're slow, he couldn't deny the urgency of them being fast. Another look at Bianca, who had stopped struggling, instead lying limp in Luke's arms, and Jason pushed harder than ever. He _couldn't_ let her die, not after they worked so hard to save her.

And yet, all he felt he could do was run. Jason was powerless to stop her death, should they arrive even a second too late. He couldn't bear the thought; he wanted to scream for everyone to move, for Luke to use Kronos' powers _more_ , for Leo to just tell him how to get there and let Luke run faster; the little bastard was so short he was slowing them down.

And yet he didn't. Because even though he wanted to do those things, he knew it wouldn't have helped. Leo didn't _know_ the whole way, Luke looked on the verge of collapse as it was, and this crowd likely didn't care enough to listen to him. Jason could fly, but he didn't know if he had the strength to support four people; two was fine, three was pushing it. He'd never tried four before, and didn't want to risk falling and killing Bianca.

No, this was the _only_ way. Gods, but it was infuriating! How useless could he be? He should be able to fix this; he should've been able to prevent this! But no: he was tricked and exploited by the thing that killed Grover no less. Bianca had told him that the camps were warring, briefly but she did, and _that_ , Jason didn't even know how it started.

He clamped his eyes closed, praying to all the gods for guidance, for help, for something. He needed Reyna, he needed Tempus, he needed his father. He needed _anyone_ to take this impossible weight off of his shoulders!

The smell knocked him from his thoughts. A brief glance backward revealed several Katoblepones spewing their poison toward the questers from behind. "Jason! Hold them off!" Leo ordered.

" _Shut up!"_ Jason yelled in his head, even as he stopped. " _You're_ nothing _! A pathetic, fallen Greek! Why should I listen to you?!"_

With a push, Jason shoved a gust of wind toward the poison, the blast being strong enough to knock over the monsters as well. There were five this time, but as the first five fell, twelve more appeared, and then more and more. Jason ran forward, flipping up his Regalius and drawing his spear. The shaft felt so familiar in his hands, and for a brief moment, Jason felt like himself again. He felt that thrill, that rush that he fed off of. Only he never fed off of it; Reyna did, and Percy did. He never could. He knew for sure, because that same rush he got from the fight with Hercules, he could feel when he fought Percy.

And that wasn't thrill. It was rage.

xxxXXXxxx

Luke could barely keep up with Leo by the time they made it to their destination. It was a humble abode, all things considered. They'd looped out of the lower quarter, into an area that was less sick. They had turned to a small alley which, again, led to a dock. On that dock, they saw the Mist shimmer a door into existence, though Luke could found where it was anyway.

He could do that because he felt a god's presence long before they arrived, and Kronos' will was pounding on his soul, itching to get out and wreak havoc. With all of his willpower, Luke kept him down, but he was exhausted as it was. This process needed to be quick, or else Luke needed to beeline it away from this god, for fear of Kronos taking control again. If he'd been at full strength, maybe he would be able to take it, but…

Luke shoved away the thought as they burst into the building and saw…

"Father…?" Luke muttered, the breath being taken from him. The god of messengers had been sitting at a table, reading the newspaper, like any other dad. It was an odd sight, to see a god so domesticated, but he stood quickly, and assumed his godly form just as fast. Even then, though, his form seemed duller, somehow. It was like he chose to be less noticeable, less stand-out. Even his eyes seemed distant.

"You?" was all he said, before seeing Bianca.

This is when Leo jumped in, and for once, Luke was glad he spoke so fast and loose. "Hey, Hecate sent us and said you were a friend. Whoever you are, you need to help her!" he pointed to the daughter of Hades. Hermes' gaze shifted from Luke to Bianca, and back to Luke. The Titan Lord's host would guess what he was thinking: how could he stand to help people after what he'd done?

Still, the god nodded, and willed a hospital bed to appear, along with his staff. Luke laid Bianca there, her skin even paler than usual, eyes rolled back into her head, barely breathing. After that, Luke stepped away, but didn't run out. He was too dumbfounded as to why Hermes was here in Venice, and that he even got the chance to see him again. It'd been since…when he died…

"I brought your shoes," Leo offered them.

"No need," he said. "Though, I don't have the necessary supplies."

"What?!" Leo questioned.

"They're in the city," he willed an image to appear, revealing a bell tower. "St. Mark's, over in Piazza San Marco. There's an extension above it; that's where my supplies are. Could you fetch them?"

"I…but you…bah! Fine!" Leo stormed out.

"Take the shoes, they can help you fly!" Hermes called, willing the shoes to follow Leo. This left him and Luke alone. They were quiet for a moment, before Luke became the first to speak.

"…You don't need supplies, do you?" he asked, once he regained himself enough to speak properly. Hermes smiled sadly.

"No, I don't. But…I wanted to speak with you. Alone, if I could," he said. Luke didn't respond, just tried to calm himself down. "You look ragged, Luke. Please, sit and rest. Here is some nectar; it should ease the process," with a wave of his hand, a glass appeared on the floor in front of Luke. The man gritted his teeth, and kicked it away.

"I don't want your help," he claimed. "I don't need it; I _never_ needed it."

The sad smile faded from the god's face as he focused on his work. "…Strange how I thought things…would be different now," he said. "When last we met, you seemed so happy to see me."

Luke turned away, recalling the memory.

xxxXXXxxx

 _Luke and Percy were standing side-by-side. Luke was unharmed, protected by Kronos as well as the Achilles Curse. The son of Poseidon seemed on death's door, powers drained from his ordeals. They stood in front of the Heart of Olympus, as Percy chose to allow Luke to sacrifice himself, to trap the Titan Lord inside of him, binding their souls together. "…Do you have any regrets?" Percy asked, sounding tired and hesitant. He knew his battle was over._

"… _Too many," Luke returned. "But I think my biggest is…that I never tried to see eye-to-eye with my father."_

 _The words came from his mouth before Luke thought about it. It wasn't any kind of desire he'd ever voiced, nor did he even consciously realize he wanted it. But here, as he was about to die, that was all that left his lips. Realizing that, Luke started to cry, head down, eyes closed. Not because this was his end, but because he left so much undone, left that way due to his own fault in siding with Kronos, for causing so much pain, so many deaths, all that of that heartbreak and sorrow._

 _And then, he felt_ his _presence approach._

" _I wonder…could you ever find it in you to forgive me…for everything I've done…all the lives I've cost…all of the heartache I've sown…?" Luke choked out, breaking down, his head pounding from either regret or Kronos. Likely both. But then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and warmth spread through his body._

 _Luke looked forward, to see Hermes standing in front of him, offering all of the comfort that he could. And then, he disappeared. After saying a few more words to Percy, Luke stepped into the Heart, and burned in divine judgment._

xxxXXXxxx

"It was an emotional day," Luke claimed, though it was very convincing, even to himself. "…What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry, that I regret what I did?"

"I don't need you to say that, Luke. I know you feel that way, and I know that you're doing everything you can to make up for it."

Luke's ager faded quickly faded at that. He wanted to feel bitter, to feel entitled, just like he'd been used to feeling whenever he thought of his father. But with those few words, it all melted away. Soon, he felt almost calm. "…Yeah, I am," the man sighed. "I just…don't know if it'll ever be enough…"

"…Likely not," Hermes admitted. "Not to most. Though some might say otherwise, like your friends on the airship."

"They're naïve. None of them were there; they don't know anything. None of them saw what I did."

"But you know what you did, and you still choose to help them. That's what they know. Are they wrong to think that?"

"…"

"Luke, I-" they were interrupted as Luke lurched forward onto his hands and knees. "…He's trying to take control again, isn't he?"

"Quick! You need to get away! You need to blast me away! You can be around when he- agh!" Luke clutched his heart, as it felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest, literally this time.

"With you in such a weakened state, I doubt you'll be able to hold him back for long, and I need to stay here to help your friend. But don't worry, she'll be fine."

"No! He'll kill you before you get heal her! Please, you need to send me away!" he begged, black dots darting across his vision.

"I won't!" Hermes snapped, his anger spiking before it quickly died down as he continued. "It's not needed. Even if I die…I would welcome it, after the despair I experienced at your fall," Luke blinked, shocked at the outburst. Hermes cleared his throat. "Now then, a few things before you go. First and foremost, I know that you realize you have a limited time left in this world. Make the most of it. Second, I was visited by Thanatos a few days back. He wanted to me to tell you, should I see you, that he'll be waiting where you'll die again. I do not know if he'll give you a choice when that happens. Third…" Hermes chuckled, seeing Luke crumple to the ground, his consciousness fading fast. "It might be too late…but I love you, son. I always have. Even in your darkest times, I loved you. I'm sorry that I never told you that, when you needed it."

Luke's body heaved a bit, before slowly standing, facing the door. Hermes saw _his_ eyes. "It's been a while, grandfather."

Kronos' gaze shifted to the god. " **...What are you doing here?** "

"Aiding a scrappy group of demigods," he said plainly. Kronos seemed unamused. "…It's this thing called depression; I've heard it's natural, but…I had never imagined I would go through such a thing."

" **You need not be wasting time here. Your precious Olympians require your skills.** "

"That's odd; did I hear a compliment from the self-centered Kronos?" Hermes questioned, to which the Titan scoffed. "…You aren't going to kill me, are you?"

" **No, I am not.** "

The god of messengers chuckled. "I'd thought not. My son would never fully give in to you; even now his will beats against your own. I can feel it."

" **You've no idea as to the extent of his willpower,** " Kronos said. " **But it is not why I will spare you. No, the girl will be needed, just as much as my target.** "

"Your…target?"

" **Indeed. It is time for me to stand a hero on his pedestal, for he's too incompetent to do so on his own.** "

And with that, he was gone, in the blink of an eye. Even Hermes couldn't see it, leaving him alone with a dying girl.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **A third consecutive day of no proofreading. I apologize, and do so doubly for another late day. On the plus side, I beat Spider-Man, so hopefully I'll be able to get my schedule back on track. Tangent, and this may be because I'm still on the high of the ending, but that's got to be one of the best stories in modern video games imo. And from a fucking Spider-Man game, of all things!**

 **Anyway, you can argue this chapter was a bit uneventful, and that's because I split it in two. It would've been too long, and would've pushed the line of whether I'm eating too much time. If you didn't know, I don't particularly like uploading huge chapters unless they're big moments. Like when Percy beat Atlas in The Cruel Spider, I'd consider a big moment, and finales of course count as well.**

 **In any case, the conclusion to their trip in Venice will be tomorrow, so don't worry. I won't make you wait too long.**

 **See you all then!**


	51. This Is My Power

The few dozen monsters that Jason had started with multiplied to several hundred within only a few minutes. He made it a point never to let their poison touch him; he didn't know how much of it he needed to ingest before its effects became more than an annoyance.

And so, he systematically tore through them, whether from the air or from the ground via his spear, letting, for once, his frustrations out on the battlefield. Even as he did this, Jason scolded himself nonstop. This was _exactly_ what he did in Rome; now that he'd felt that brief euphoria of letting all of his emotions out by trying to kill someone, he was dying to feel it again.

And yet, he felt nothing. There wasn't any emotion in what he did. Jason was death, and death didn't have any feelings to vent.

" _So why don't you just stop?_ " he asked himself. And it was a valid question. Leo and Luke had made it to the 'friend' by now, who could likely protect them, and if not, Leo was more than capable, and with some time, Luke could take care of these things way faster than Jason could; he could return to the Argo II and relax. But he didn't. He stayed, and then was punished for staying, but that's skipping ahead.

As Jason tore through the air, carrying fifteen of the Katoblepones into the sky with him, he noticed Leo racing through the streets below him, via his fire going nuts against more of the cow monsters. Except something was weird, he was…flying? In fact, yes…the more Jason looked, the more he thought Leo was flying.

Then something terrifying happened. The rage returned. This dark presence engulfed Jason, blocking out all of his rational thoughts. He dove toward Leo, stopping him in mid-air. "Jason! Help me out here!" he exclaimed. "We need to make it to-"

"Shut up!" Jason yelled, the wind picking up around him. "I'm sick of you playing the tough guy! You're _nothing_! A filthy Greek!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Leo yelled back, clearly not in the mood. "Listen to me, the guy who's healing Bianca needs supplies, so we need to…" he trailed off, as he saw sparks coming from Jason's hand. "Oh no, don't do it! Jason, I'm your friend!"

Every muscle in the son of Jupiter's body urged him to stop. To let it fly, so to speak. But in his head, Jason could only feel insulted. Not only was Leo blatantly usurping control from him, having done so for nearly a week now, but he was even stepping into _his_ domain without permission? The sparks in his hand quickly turned to a bolt of lightning. This was interesting for a few reasons, in hindsight. First, that he'd even think of hurting his friend was absolutely unbelievable. Second, that he willingly used his lightning (not lightning from the ground, but bolts that he actually produced solely with his own energy) without losing control was something that hadn't happened in years. And it was just as terrifying now as it was then.

Jason looked down at Leo with contempt clear in his eyes. "You're not my friend. You're a Greek. And the Greeks…will fall again," he held his hand out to shoot the bolt toward Leo. " _Conquer or die…"_ the word rang in his head like a rock banging around in his skull. Jason faltered, suddenly being overcome with nausea and dizziness. The bolt let loose against his wishes, shooting into Leo's feet, destroying the flying shoes. Thankfully, the fall wasn't enough to significantly hurt him, but the same couldn't be said for Jason.

No longer having _any_ control of his powers, Jason plummeted to the ground, crashing into a bridge, creating a small crater from his impact. The Roman writhed on the ground, twisting and bending as his insides destroyed themselves. In this moment, Jason was forced to relive the stark realization that Percy was right. He wanted to uphold Lupa's teachings, live for the Roman ideal, and yet when he tried, he failed. He not only failed at doing so, but in his attempt, his suffers from a horrible physical rebound.

Leo made it to him, livid as he should be, and blasted Jason with his flames, knocking him across the building toward a group of Katoblepones. Leo followed up, hands ablaze, ready to fight. "You wanna go, asshole? Let's go! Come on, get up!"

"Leo, please, I'm…I'm sorry!"

"You're _sorry_?! You're useless!"

"I-"

"You've done nothing but ruin this whole quest! If you weren't here, we'd be done by now! If you weren't here, I bet Grover would still be alive!"

Jason stood, his episode of agony slowly coming to its close. "Please, I don't know what came over me, I-" Jason was interrupted as a mound of poison gas welled up around them shot from every angle. Jason did what he could to ward it off, but he and Leo were forced back-to-back, each shooting away half of the ring of poison around them.

"When we get out of this, I'm kicking your ass!" Leo vowed. "But right now, we need to get to the bell tower."

"St. Mark's?"

"Yeah, that one."

"Okay, I can get us-"

"No, you can't. _I'm_ calling the shots, because you'll mess everything up again!" Leo snapped. "Make a hole on three. One, two, three!"

The two blasted their way through the wall of Katoblepones and raced side-by-side. Thanks for Jason's efforts, that first push was the hardest, as all of the Katoblepones had surrounded him. That gave the two of them a smooth ride to the bell tower. Still, just before they were out of danger for now didn't mean they could slack off.

"Think there's some stairs?" Leo asked. "I can ask, I can-"

"Not enough time; I can-"

" _No_ , you can't!" Leo snapped.

"Leo, I can _fly_!"

"You can crash and burn," he corrected. The two glared at each other. "Just like before."

"Are we really doing this now? I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what got into me, but right now our friend if _dying_ , Leo! We need to do this as fast as possible."

"You think I need your help to save her? I can do this myself!" Leo's flames came out then. Jason wasn't willing to raise a hand to the boy, not again and definitely not to hurt him, so he backed off. "Like I said before; you ruined _everything_ and you know it!"

"Yeah, I did, but come on, we need to-"

"There is no 'we'! Why can't you get that through your head? I don't need a stupid Aduro like you!"

Jason willed wind to gust toward Leo. "No! You don't get to call me that. Ever."

"Who's gonna stop me?" Leo shot a fireball at Jason, who had to dodge it. With their bickering, the boys had allowed the Katoblepones to catch up, and they started spewing their poison mist. Leo shot his fire at them, letting off a blast big enough to sear through the buildings around the monsters.

"Hey! Mind the civs, Leo!"

"Butt out!"

"Look, Leo, I'm sorry about Grover. Alright? He was my friend too and-"

"No, don't say that you 'feel bad too'! You don't give a damn; you're too goddamn selfish for that, worrying about yourself."

"Fine, whatever! But just because you feel bad about it doesn't give you any right to take it out on the rest of us!"

"You have _no_ idea what I'm going through!" Leo snapped again, tears threatening to fall at the mention of the satyr. "You're an Aduro who can't even control his own powers! How could you possibly-"

The Katoblepones were closing in and fast, though the boys were barely paying attention at that point. It was only when they attacked did they notice. The two ended up back-to-back again, warding off poison gas.

"Leo, please, we need to put aside out differences for now. Bianca needs our help, and we-"

"No!" he yelled. Jason could feel the air getting warmer around him. He moved away from the son of Hephaestus to see the air steaming around him. "You know what? I don't need you at all! I have wings of my own; I'll fly up there!" the heat radiated on his hand before they exploded with flames, shot out in streams downward to the ground like a rocket. "This is my power!"

Miraculously, Leo did rise into the air, and fast. It was like he was an actual rocket, shooting up at an incredible velocity. He even maintained control, which was a plus, moving to go forward toward the bell tower.

But then, as impressive as it was, Jason was then, by definition, left to handle the monsters. Though, that didn't end up happening either. Instead, he saw a golden light approach them. Then, in just a few seconds of Jason seeing bright golden flashes, most of the monsters was destroyed. Then, Jason saw him: Luke, only it wasn't Luke. "Kronos…" the name left Jason's lips like poison. His heartrate quickened, he started shaking. Here was the Lord of the Titans going all-out, likely there to kill them. Someone needed to stop him, someone had to. But…Percy wasn't there…he stopped him before, he could've done it again, right? But that wasn't an option this time.

It had to be Jason.

Kronos gave the boy a smirk after he finished off the rest of the Katoblepones, before leaping up toward Leo, who had almost made it to the bell tower. Jason shot up after him, but he wasn't going fast enough. " _Come on! Come on, move!_ " he begged, pushing with all of his might. Kronos' scythe rose to cut Leo's head off. " _No! Come on, move!_ "

Jason felt and saw sparks on his body, begging to use his lightning. No, he couldn't. He would've lost control again…but what other choice did he have? He shot forward with his lightning, releasing what he hoped was a concentrated bolt. But Kronos only looked amused, and in the moment, as the Titan Lord slowed time down to a crawl, the lightning seemed to move as fast as a snail in real time. Somehow, Jason understood him as he mused, " **Too slow, hero,** " before he stopped, deflected the bolt with his scythe, and fell to the ground.

Leo had been pushed further ahead by the Titan Lord, mostly to get him out of the way, and he entered the bell tower's top. He saw an extension shimmer into existence above him, and he raced up it to retrieve the supplies that weren't needed…not that he knew that.

Jason, without hesitation, made a dive for Kronos, raising his spear to run him through. He couldn't afford to think about anything else but to stop him, even at the cost of Luke's life. He would hurt too many people, he _had_ hurt too many of Jason's friends.

Kronos was ready for him though, as he took the initial attack with little effort, and then parried the subsequent assault easily. With a light kick, Kronos knocked Jason away to open him up for an attack of his own. With a light twirl of his scythe, Kronos released a beam slash of his energy right at the son of Jupiter. With some effort, Jason cut through it, using both his wind and his spear. " **Ooh…** " Kronos raised his eyebrows, slightly impressed. Even if he was, that didn't stop him from following up, dashing forward and striking with extreme precision. Jason just barely managed to put up a defense, the Titan Lord not allowing him time to prepare himself before he attacked.

Soon, even that broke, Jason's spear sent flying from his hands, his powers, barely under his control after his outburst, now spent. He stumbled backward, falling to the ground, as Kronos' scythe was held to his throat. He'd failed.

" **Well, that didn't last nearly as long as I'd hoped,** " Kronos mocked the demigod.

"Just do it," Jason said back, not in the mood for his quips. "Just kill me…"

" **If I wanted to kill you, boy, I would've done so when I first arrived.** "

"What?"

Kronos, as if on cue, removed his scythe, stabbing its blade into the ground next to him. " **Listen close, boy, because I will not repeat myself. I only spare you because you are useful to me; likewise I will spare the others on your precious ship because you wouldn't handle their passing with any kind of tact. The boy agrees; your performance has been pathetic thus far.** "

"What? You come out just berate me? Like everyone else?"

" **You berate yourself far more than I ever could,"** he claimed.

"Then…what do you want? Don't tell me you came give me a pep talk. Don't tell me you want to turn me into a hero; you saw how that turned out, right?"

" **I did, and I would still make you one,** " he returned, radiating power and shutting him up. " **…When I threatened your friend, what did you do?** "

"What?"

" **I told you I would not repeat myself.** "

"I tried to save him…but-" Jason was about to mention how he utterly failed and how he wasn't fast enough to keep up with him.

" **You tried to save him,** " Kronos repeated, wresting control of conversation again. " **You already knew you aren't as fast as me. You already knew that I could kill you at any time that I so desire; otherwise you wouldn't have automatically assumed your friend was in danger. Yet, you leapt forward with reckless abandon to save the day, without thinking, without hesitating.** _ **That**_ **is the mark of a hero, boy,** " the Titan Lord considered his words. " **You demigods…you can be very useful to us immortals. We could always find a purpose for you…it's a part of the reason that I regret my mistreatment of those under me…including…their sacrifice…"** he took a deep breath. Jason was in shock that he was hearing such grievances from what he considered the embodiment of evil. " **The Titan Slayer, whether he would put it this way or not, realizes this about demigods. He knows that the Fates will never let your kind escape that role. So, he sits on his first place pedestal, bearing the full weight of the world on his shoulders, and neither mortal nor immortal could handle that forever. Already, I sense him starting to crumble, and before long, he'll collapse, leaving your world vulnerable.** "

"You…you want me to…take his place?"

" **No. But you do, and that could be useful to me…you cannot hesitate anymore, boy. He has no intention of waiting for you at the finish line. You must accept who you are, and rise to meet him as that person. And I don't need the gift of prophecy to foresee that when you arrive to meet him, it will be magnificent,** " he said, the words ringing in the son of Jupiter's head. The Titan Lord lurched, feeling Luke, recovered, trying to wrest control again. " **Well, it seems my time here has come for now. If you see my son…tell him…that you make me prouder than he does.** "

Then Luke collapsed. Jason didn't try and catch him as he face-planted onto the ground; he was too caught up in trying to process the Titan Lord's words. He wasn't expecting any help from him, let alone advice or what could only be described as hero-counseling. Luke sat up, groggy like he'd been asleep. "Oh gods…damn it!" he pounded the ground. Unfortunately, he didn't even have time to digest what had happened; neither of them did, before Leo emerged from the bell tower with a bag in hand.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed, shooting past them with his hand jets as if there was still danger below, which there wasn't. Luke stood.

Somber, he offered a hand of Jason. "Come on," he said, as the two started back toward Hermes.

When they arrived, Bianca was already up on her feet and stretching, like she was waking up from a good nap. "Phew! Do I feel _better_!" she exclaimed, a grin on her face. Leo, in a display befitting of his old self, jumped for joy along with her. If nothing else, this told Luke that he was still good, underneath his current angst.

"Ah, you made it back," Hermes greeted. "As you can see, the Ghost King is right as rain."

"Mm," Luke nodded, but did little else. He was actively trying to avoid another conversation with Hermes, and the god noticed and accepted that.

"Thank you," Jason bowed his head, trying to act somewhat like a respectable person would. "I'm sorry, but…we don't have any payment for-"

"Nonsense. Anything for you all; should you fail, we all die after all," he smiled. "Your friend also brought back these," he took out two vials. "I suppose he found them in the bell tower. Good on him; I'd actually forgotten they were there. I suppose it's understandable; it's been a couple thousand years since I've been here."

"What…are they?"

"Consider them elixirs," Hermes said, with each magically filling with liquid. One was blue, and other was red. He explained a bit as he moved to the son of Hephaestus. "Their effects are only felt upon consuming the entire vial and once it enters the body, if it somehow gets out, it won't work twice, so you can't use it multiple times. This one," he gave the blue one to Leo. "Will restore you to one-hundred percent efficiency, rid any fatigue, and heal all wounds both internal and external," he moved to Jason and handed him the red one. "This one is only to be used in emergencies; it will boost your output past your normal limits, but only for a brief period, and once it wears out, you'll likely be incapacitated for days. Use it only as a last resort," he warned. The boys nodded.

Luke gave Hermes one last glance before exiting, not saying a word. He couldn't face him after that pitiful display.

The others soon followed, and they returned to the Argo II, taking off down the eastern edge of the Adriatic Sea. Luke mainly left the others alone at first, as he had to consider what exactly had happened the past two stops. He went straight to his room. The others, meanwhile, met in the dining hall.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Bianca asked, now back, somewhat, to her old self.

"About what?" Jason questioned, still mostly despondent.

"About that copycat thing from Bologna," she clarified.

"It was a shapeshifter," Leo said. "And I'm betting he's the bastard who killed Grover."

"Yeah; probably took Bellona's form. And if it was messing with us in two different places, I'd bet it's working with the Giants."

"Bianca," Jason spoke up. "This might be off-topic, but…I'm sorry, for…you know…"

She rubbed her stomach where he'd stabbed her. She'd learned from Hermes that she'd probably have a permanent scar there. Even though she felt better than before it happened, it still hurt. "It's okay," she assured. "It was a rough situation. And unfortunately, we don't have any way of beating something like that."

"Right…well, with any luck, we don't have to deal with it. It wasn't in Venice, right?" Leo pointed out. "Too bad, I _really_ wanted to-"

"I should probably tell Winona about this," Bianca said.

"What? Why?"

"Oh, apparently they think Bellona killed Grover and that Camp Jupiter was harboring Luke, so the Greeks declared war," she explained, like she was explaining what she had for breakfast. Jason was left speechless at that; speechless and deeply saddened.

"You've got to be kidding…"

"Nope. But don't worry; once they know what's up, everything will work out," she assured. With her mannerisms, Jason couldn't tell whether she truly believed that or not. "I'll go Iris-Message her now," she said, standing and leaving. Jason and Leo remained. Briefly.

"Leo, I-" Jason began, only for his supposed friend to stand.

"I gotta go tune up my arm," he gave the excuse and left without waiting for an answer. So then, Jason was alone.

Luke was anything but.

As soon as he made it to his room, he fell asleep. While he felt absolutely exhausted, that wasn't why he did so. He awoke in that void again, and in front of him, was Kronos, having an infuriatingly cocky grin on his face.

" **You look a bit glum, boy,** " Kronos mocked.

"I wonder why," Luke didn't even try to hide the anger in his voice.

" **If you'd have just willingly given over control, then things-** "

"Why in the hell would I do that?!" Luke snapped. "You're a monster!"

" **As are you,** " Kronos returned, smirking. " **A monster is only defined by their actions, of which yours were…monstrous,** " Luke scoffed, trying to come up with something. He couldn't. " **No matter your ideals, you harmed no shortage of innocents and set into motion events which harmed a great deal more. Did you not?** "

"Under your orders! I…" Luke tried to compose himself. He couldn't let Kronos get the better of him, not again. "Do you just not realize how evil you are? Is that it, do you not understand the ramifications? Did you ever really think you were the good guy, the hero?"

Kronos crossed his arms, considering the words. " **I do realize, now,** " he concluded. As he continued, his speech became more somber and more methodical in its pace. " **And it is that realization which has forced me to do a lot of introspection. It could be due to something as simple as your influence on me, to which I would be eternally ashamed, and yet…I can't imagine a time when you were not around, when your 'pathetic' honor was not there every step in my plan and thought process. Now, I begin to wonder…is this what regret feels like?** "

"No, no…you're doing it again!"

" **What?** "

"You're feeding me everything I want to hear, but I _won't_ fall for it again."

Kronos looked at his with melancholy in his eyes. " **…It's a shame that you have to think so,** " was all he said before continuing his lamentations. " **Was I wrong to destroy my father and take his place as ruler of the world?** **Was I wrong to subdue the children who were destined to do so to me? Was the world in such chaos that I had to have been cast out to restore balance? I truly cannot remember…was I wrong, then, to summon up the will to influence a lone mortal child to aid in my return, to take revenge, after having spent thousands of years without a body, trapped in an endless black void as I swirled around the confines of my soul, with only desires of revenge and birthright coursing through my thoughts…? Were _you_ so wrong, to go along with my plan of resurrection, in the face of a world so flawed that it allowed dozens of your friends to be thoughtlessly killed for no gain? We are not so different, you and I.**"

"We're _nothing_ alike," Luke said, definitively. That wasn't something he was willing to budge on. Kronos seemed dissatisfied with the response.

" **Your worldview is predicated on the notion that two beings born in similar circumstances who go through the same things can come out the other side as different from each other as the sun is from the moon. If you did not, you would never have sided with me in the first place, as you would assume I am like Zeus, whom you despised. Thus, I can fairly easily surmise that you think the same of you and I, to be so close to achieving our goals, of changing the world in a way we saw fit, only have it dashed, and then for you to be trapped in an endless hell truly befitting your own personal purgatory; forever bonded with** _ **me**_ **. But…I'd ask you to consider. Just as you can have the great potential for evil then perhaps I can also have the great potential for good. For while the sun and moon greatly differ, they are** _ **both**_ **sources of light and marks of the path for a weary traveler; a traveler who needs guidance, from the both of them.** "

With that, Kronos disappeared, leaving Luke to once again ponder his words.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay, a bit late after the upload itself, but I've proofread this and now have time to write a note!**

 **If you couldn't tell, I'm trying to cram in as much dense content as I can into each of these chapters, whether it be a unique interaction, such as with Luke and Hermes in the last one, or straight character building like the ending of this one. In particular, the latter type of content is my favorite. The speeches (however hammy you may find them), the lamentations, the introspection. It's all so interesting to me. I can't say for sure that it's the best way to show character and get you to care about them, because when Spider-Man said "I don't know what to do" at the end of the game it broke my fucking heart from the performance, and got across more about the pain and uncertainty of his unique situation than any of the movies or games until that point.**

 **That said, this is what I've got to work with in the textual format. So here it is. Here's my favorite chapter thus far in House of Hades. It won't last long, I think chapter 54 is going to end up as my overall favorite of this adaptation, but we'll see.**

 **In any case, thanks for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow!**


	52. Desperate Times

"Octavian, you'd best have something I want to hear," Reyna didn't try and hide her frustration, as she normally would attempt to do. The blonde hesitated, seeing what he could only describe as his superior drinking her morning coffee threateningly. They'd both been up for the past six days setting up an encampment in Central Park.

Originally, after…the incident happened, they'd tried to return to Camp Jupiter, but they were cut off, and herded back into the city. Seeing that the Greeks wanted to play on their turf, Reyna decided not to waste resources trying to escape, but rather to fortify themselves as much as possible, having chosen Central Park. At least from here, the Greeks wouldn't be able to attack from above (from the buildings), and it was the least populated zone in the city…though that wasn't saying much, considering hundreds, maybe thousands, of people a day passed them by. Reyna had no idea what they were seeing through the Mist, but she was sure glad they didn't try and stop them.

Thus, to set up the necessary fortifications it took a long time, and they couldn't afford a break lest the Greeks launch a surprise attack. However, only Reyna and Octavian stayed up the whole time.

Speaking of, the boy finally answered. "Well, the scout party you sent last night hasn't returned," he said.

"Mm," she mumbled a curse under her breath before drinking more of her wake-up juice. At first, she'd sent peace parties, those who were sent in the hopes that they could work something out; she sent two, over the first two days. When they never returned, she had to let go her oath to Jason and accept reality. Over the next four days, she sent two scout parties. They weren't given a proper look at that Camp Half-Blood before they were promptly kicked out, so she was hoping to find some kind of weakness to exploit. They didn't have nearly the amount of resources or manpower as the Greeks, so Reyna knew she needed to end things quickly if they had a chance at survival.

With this message from Octavian, that made the third party that hasn't returned. With a sigh, Reyna held out her hand. Octavian quickly handed her a pen, and she moved to it to the list of names she'd had him scribe when they first established themselves. She crossed off those names of the final party. Already, two of the six centurions, Hazel and Frank who'd gone with this most recent party, and twenty overall Romans had been taken out. With no way of confirming their status, Reyna had to assume they'd been killed. With a heavy heart, Reyna returned the pen.

"At least reinforcements will be here soon," Octavian offered. Reyna nodded. They'd sent two campers back to Camp Jupiter in order to request the rest of the force plus the Amazons. Reyna herself made sure they crossed the city boundaries, barely holding off thirty campers at its edge. Now, it was up to them, but they couldn't afford to just wait here…

"What do you advise?" she asked him.

"What?"

"I've not a mind to repeat myself," she warned, irritable as it was.

"Well, I would…um…" Octavian crossed his arms, quickly becoming deep in thought. She'd asked him that a few times before, which is a far reach from the duties she'd tasked him with in past (as they hadn't had any need for him to act as a war tactician), and he didn't have an answer. She'd been slightly less testy then, explaining how she thought through problems of this scale, and he began with her first step; what they couldn't do. "We can't risk anymore men on scouting. We can't just sit here, and we can't leave," he said, then moving onto the facts that they know. "The Greeks," he took out a map. "Have us trapped in the city; we've seen some of them lurking as close as the edge of the park. So far, no one has spotted them within the park itself," he then moved onto what they didn't know, and what they wanted to find out by extension. "We don't know how much of their populace is devoted to subduing us and thus their total number is unknown. We don't know how far they'll, quote, 'allow' us to go out of our encampment before they attack. We don't even know if they've set up a closer encampment than their home. It's likely that they could be simply defending their Camp Half-Blood, and keeping an eye on us otherwise."

"Romans do not assume about the enemy," Reyna reminded him. "We act as if they are out for our blood, no more and no less."

"Y-yes, ma'am…then…that's what we know," he said. The daughter of Bellona waited for a verdict. "I suggest we take up everything and move."

"Really?"

"The idea of Central Park seemed sound, but it puts us at a disadvantage. I believe we'd do much better in a warehouse of some sort, where we might be able to set up some sort of trap or alarm; as it is, we're relying solely on our eyes…and those have led us wrong very recently."

Reyna nodded knowingly, recalling her mother's form, of all things, butchering an innocent faun. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the thought. Taking a deep breath, Reyna opened them again. "I understand your point, but we've already established here. That's not an option, at least not until reinforcements arrive…if they arrive at all," she said the last part under her breath. Octavian nodded, though looked dejected to have been rejected. Reyna stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "Go and call a war meeting; we both be clearly too tired to come up with something. After you call it, get some sleep, lad."

"But-"

"No 'buts', it's an order," she said with finality, walking past him to go to their designated war tent. She waited a good ten minutes for everyone to arrive; there was some confusing in as to who should come from the Fifth, but they got one of the senior Legionnaires to do so.

Taking a deep breath, Reyna spoke. "Things are bleak, lads. I cannot lie to you. Here's the situation," she relayed everything Octavian summed up earlier. "He believes that the best solution is to relocate to a place where we can more easily fortify, but…I've a mind to disagree; we need to recuperate as it is, do we not?" murmurs of agreement rose briefly. "So then, I ask all of you. What do you think?"

Shock was evident; never before in their lives as demigods did the praetor ask the populace for help; they _always_ knew what to do. But Reyna was desperate, and she truly didn't see any solution to this situation. Nathan, of the First, was the first to speak up.

"A full out attack; send a whole cohort as a scout party and take their attack in spades," he offered, and with it, ideas started popping up left and right.

"We _could_ just wait for the others."

"Yeah, set double watch to make sure no one gets in or out."

"But then they could arrow us to death; they have _way_ more archers and they know this place way better."

"Then what about Nathan's plan?"

"If we're sending one cohort, why not two?"

Reyna listened to them bounce ideas off of one another, almost in awe of their willingness. She'd gotten so used to Octavian, who (bless his heart) was so stuck to his rules that he wouldn't ever think to ask for help like this, that she almost forgot what it was like to have aid without excessive provocation. The daughter of Bellona turned around, still listening to their ideas, mind wandering about the possibilities for back home; they could have regular meeting like this, with all of the Centurions, to discuss possible tactics for war games, or gather the architects for joint collaboration, rather than having to ask someone for help on a biggest project. Her mind drifted back to Tempus, who had first spurred this type of discussion in her challenges to the Senate and to Reyna herself. " _I am a novel, and you are a map…"_ Reyna recalled her saying. If that were the case, then she was tracing their eventual paths already.

However, as she thought about it, something caught her eye. It was innocuous to most, but Reyna knew she saw something. Looking to the corner of the tent, she saw the grass moving a bit, but…there was no wind, definitely not within the tent. Then she saw an even stranger sight; a grapevine, making her think of Dakota, but he didn't live anywhere close to here. She turned around, a crazy thought going through her head. She made a motion for them to keep talking, and then exited the tent, circling around to that same corner, but from the outside. Sure enough, grapevines and strangely moving grass were extended in a line from the edge of the encampment. As quietly as possible, Reyna moved to trace it back, getting to the edge of the camp before they suddenly all retracted in an audible "swish" sound.

Reyna broke into a run, drawing Tabula Rasa and cutting through the thicket in her path, revealing three teens, two around her age, and one looking but thirteen or so, wearing orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirts. Before they could run, Reyna had a blade to one of their necks. "Ah, ah…I wouldn't move if I were you," she said, to which they quickly obliged.

Reyna herded them into camp, where they were quickly stripped of their weapons and thrown into a makeshift cell, hands tied together and tied to Imperial Gold stakes which were locked into the ground. For now, that was where they'd stay. Reyna returned to the war meeting, announced that they had prisoners, and set for Nathan to write down all of the ideas for action that were discussed before dismissing them.

Now that it was quiet again, Reyna couldn't help but give into her own fatigue. Before Nathan left, she put him in charge until either she or Octavian woke up, and then, went to get some much needed sleep.

However, it didn't last long. Only three hours later, she awoke, head buzzing like she didn't sleep at all. Still drowsy, she sat up and stood, exiting, and seeing Octavian approaching her tent. "You praetorship," he bowed his head a bit. "I'd heard that you capture some prisoners, so I took it upon myself to get what I could from them."

Reyna blinked, unsure of what she'd heard. It took her a few minutes to remember his unique abilities. He's a distant descendant of Apollo, as well as a child of Minerva, so he was given a limited use of prophecy. It wasn't useful in the slightest; under most circumstances he could glean some information about a person by speaking with them. But it was basic information like their name and their parents' names and what have you. Not only was it not particularly useful, such as at Camp Jupiter, but it didn't even work half the time, such as with Luke; he had no idea who that man was until he told him outright.

"Oh, right…" she said finally, still exhausted.

"R-Reyna, are you…?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Fetch another coffee. Actually, make it four," she said. Nodding, Octavian handed her a clipboard with the information he got, before making her way to the makeshift cell. She entered, one hand holding the clipboard and the other one her blade's hilt, just in case. "Katie Gardner, Miranda Gard _i_ ner, both daughters of Ceres, nice one, and…Pollux, son of Bacchus…no last name…aye…" she muttered, eyeing the three; two girls and one guy, who she guessed was Pollux. The three didn't even look at her. "Avast ye," she kneeled down to look them in the eye. "I want to know what you were doing outside of my territory."

"Would you?" Pollux mocked. Without hesitation, Reyna slapped him, hard enough to knock him to the ground.

"You'd do well not to cross me, lest you be cast out to Davy Jones Locker," she warned as she stood. "Now, this be the situation; I want to know a few things, and you are going to be beaten until you tell me. I've not had my coffee yet, and so my anger might escalate quickly and violently. Is that understood?"

"You're going to torture us?" Miranda, the youngest, spoke up, her voice a mere squeak she was so scared.

"Aye," Reyna said, dropping the clipboard and drawing her sword. "I won't kill you, and doing this is more a blow to my pride than one to your body, but these be desperate times indeed."

"If you think we'll talk, then you're dead wrong."

"Well, then," she said, sticking her blade into the dirt and then removing her armor. "You've obviously never dealt with a pirate's punishment before, especially not the misses."

"What the hell are you-" Katie's voice stopped when she saw Reyna remove her shirt, let down her hair, and then close the tent's opening to block them from view.

Within a few minutes, Reyna exited the tent, shirt back on, cracking her neck. Octavian met her outside, along with the guard that was standing watch, stone-faced as he knew what she would do when she entered. "You, gag them," she ordered. If there was a rescue attempt, she didn't want them screaming for help; that, and she didn't want them chewing through the ropes; she'd seen that they'd started already by the time Reyna got to them. She then turned to Octavian. "Come, you need to scribe," she told him.

"Y-yes, ma'am…what did you do, if I may ask?"

"You remember back when I first arrived…with the Venus spawn?"

Octavian grimaced. "You didn't-"

"No, it didn't _actually_ happen; they broke before I…had my way with them, but it was my intention."

"…You're a pitiful Roman, so dishonorable."

"Whatever it takes to survive, I'll endure for the Legion," she claimed, before they got her to tent. "Ready, lad?" she asked as she began tying her hair back into its normal braid.

"Of course," he said, pen to paper.

"They used their powers to listen in on our plans; they knew where and when we were sending out parties to intercept and destroy them. As well, our lads and lasses are alive and well, they claim; unharmed apparently. This group of three was the only party sent to spy on us, saying that they needed all three of them to reliably get the information and none others had the necessary skills at camp. The Greeks plan to attack in a week's time to snuff us out in one fell swoop," she said, taking out the map. "One attack from the south, a frontal assault. Meanwhile, they plan to send another horde from the northeast," she said, tracing the paths described to her with her fingers. Octavian, after writing down what she'd said, lightly traced the paths with a pencil.

"Do you think we can trust them?"

"Aye," she said. "Even if every nerve in my body is saying we can't, I know we can."

"You have an awful lot of faith in them…" Octavian mentioned.

"Trust me, they spoke true," she assured. "And if they didn't, and I find out, I'm going to finish the job. They were informed of that."

"R-right…so, what's the plan?"

"The plan? How about we relocate?" she suggested. Octavian shook his head, not following; the boy was still too slow on the uptake. "They can no longer know our plans ahead of time. They didn't send anyone else this close, and if we're careful, sending a few out at a time, we could easily relocate. Then, when they come here for their big attack, we can corner them instead, trap them here and overtake them on _our_ turf."

"That's…I mean, it _could_ work," he said, scratching his head. "What about reinforcements?"

"They'll be the ones first establishing the secondary base," she said, continuing to detail her plan as Octavian wrote it all down. Finally, Reyna felt as if she was getting somewhere.

xxxXXXxxx

Winona sighed, flipping a drachma up and down, a pool of water in reach, debating whether or not to call Bianca. She'd seemed really adamant about not fighting the Romans, but…she probably didn't have all of the information.

She'd been informed that the spies hadn't returned or called as scheduled that morning. Worried, she sent out a couple of Hermes kids to see what happened, and they could only tell that they'd been caught and are being held somewhere in the Romans' encampment.

Winona could only imagine what they were going through…if she'd been more sparing with their utilities, they might still be here, warm in bed, poor Miranda; it was her first summer here…the gods cursed her with her unique abilities…

Taking a deep breath, Winona tried to think through the next plan of action. The Romans seemed adamant on staying put. Good; they're staying where they could see them. The entirety of the Ares cabin was patrolling camp's borders, and Winona had been subduing each of the enemy search parties as she found out about them; all of the prisoners had been shoved into the Hypnos cabin; it induced sleep until a child of Hypnos lifted the spell. Essentially, they were put into a magical coma, safe until some kind of victor was announced.

Before she could think through much more, an image shimmered in front of her, without her calling for anyone. In a few seconds, Bianca's image appeared. "Hey, Win," she greeted, a grin on her face. The daughter of Apollo forced back a smile; it was _so_ hard to hide the joy she felt from hearing Bianca's voice again. It'd been so long.

"Where the hell have you been?" Winona questioned. "I've been waiting three days for a call!"

Bianca reared back. "S-sorry, I…got a little caught up…"

"With what?"

"Well, Jason kind of…stabbed me…"

"Oh great, I get to kill him too when I see him, unless you've done it already."

"N-no, it's not like that. It was an accident."

"An acci- Bianca, how do you _accidentally_ impale someone on a sword?"

"Or a spear; it could've been a spear," she reminded the younger girl.

"Answer the question!"

"Alright, alright…so, we went to Bologna."

"…Why?"

"Well, we're on our way to Epirus after getting the Athena Parthenos, but we have to go this really roundabout way because we got tipped off about getting help from some gods that are still over here for some reason, but we were ambushed. Some monster appeared as me, and Jason had to choose which one to attack. He got unlucky, is all. I'm good now…for the most part."

"Yeah, uh-huh," Winona crossed her arms, unconvinced.

"Hey, Hermes healed me, so I'm good," she insisted. "Anyway, Win, do you know what this means?"

"You were attacked by a shapeshifter. So?"

" _So_ , that thing was what killed Grover!" she exclaimed. "It had to have been; it took Bellona's form and killed him to get the camps to fight!" Winona raised an eyebrow. Her silence rubbed Bianca the wrong way. "You…don't believe me?"

With a sigh, Winona let her arms down. "It just seems like you're grasping at straws here. There are plenty of shapeshifters, but not one has ever worked with anyone else I don't think. They tend to be alone, or be gods."

"What if it was a Giant?" Bianca countered. "They showed up suddenly with really weird, freaky, powerful abilities, right? Why can't this transformation thing be one of them?"

"Because it's too convenient!" Winona returned.

"Kind of like how someone 'conveniently' showed you what I guess was an Iris-Message of the _exact_ moment that incriminated the Romans?"

That hit Winona like a truck. "…What?"

"Come on, you have to admit it's a little fishy. Was I right about how you found out, or what?"

"I…we were so caught up in _what_ happened, we…" Winona considered the event. It _was_ strange that an Iris-Message just appeared like that. She thought someone called it from the other side, maybe Leo or Grover called for help, but if that were the case…they probably would've done it right when they got to wherever they were, not when they were in danger. It wouldn't have made any sense. "O-okay, assume I believe you. How do you explain about Luke?"

"That was me; all me. Tell them that, that it was _my_ mistake," she said, growing excited that she was getting somewhere.

"I don't…" the younger girl turned away. "I don't think anyone else will…"

"Winona, please," Bianca pleaded. "Please, you've _got_ to tell everyone. You need to stop this war; we can't beat the Giants if we're fighting each other, you _know_ that!"

"It's not that simple, Bianca," she muttered.

"Why isn't it?!" the older girl's voice rose.

"Don't yell at me!" Winona snapped, making her friend rear back again. Taking a deep breath, Winona figured she needed to explain a bit of the situation. "I can't stop it. Both sides have prisoners. Tensions are too high; no one will listen. No one _wants_ peace right now, Bianca. Hell, I had to fight hard to keep the others from torturing information out of our prisoners," she claimed. "We…already have a plan that's been decided on, to kill the Romans. We need to do it fast, or else…they might get reinforcements. They might get them anyway. We think we'll still have more manpower, with me, but we can't afford to wait, or else we'll lose more than necessary…"

"Win…no, please, you have to do _something_!"

"Bianca…I'm _not_ losing any more of my friends," Winona said resoundingly. "Ever."

"You…" the girl seemed on the verge of tears; after trying so hard to keep peace, they'd failed with no turning back. Even if the Argo II turned around and brought the artifact back now, they wouldn't make it in time. "You can't save everyone…"

"What?"

"Gods, you're as bad as Percy! Why can't you people just accept that people die sometimes and there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Don't compare me to him!" Winona slapped her palm down onto the counter in front of her. "He's…you're…bah!" she threw her hands up in the air. "At least I can think for myself! At least I'm not just a goddamn dog to some prick and all I care about is him and what he thinks and how he feels! What about me, Bianca? What about what _I_ want and what _I_ feel, do you even care?!"

"I-"

"You wanna lecture me?" Winona continued. "Give me a _break_! Who was it that had to _coach_ you on talking to people, who had to break away your shell bit by bit over months so that you could even function?!"

The daughter of Hades was silent with mouth agape, dumbstruck at the ferocity of the words. Winona took several deep breaths, waiting for Bianca to respond. And she did, eventually. "…You've changed…after Michael…"

"I hadn't noticed," the daughter of Apollo said. That seemed to hurt Bianca more than the outburst, or maybe it was just the dam finally breaking. Tears fell from under her blindfold. "Oh, no…Bianca, don't be like that, come on…"

The daughter of Hades shook her head, hand trying to wipe away the streaks on her face. "I don't know what I was expecting…" was all she said before she wiped the message away, leaving Winona alone and letting her believe she'd ruined the best relationship she could've ever wanted.

"Damn it…" was all she could say. But it wasn't all she could do to sulk. She called a meeting, consisting of herself, Chiron, Ethan, and Clarisse; the oldest representatives minus the Stoll's. She relayed what Bianca had told her, and got about the reaction that she expected, with responses including from "it's possible," from Chiron to "they really expect us to believe that?" from Clarisse. Ethan was quiet, even as Winona attempted to argue in favor of the idea being true, and Clarisse especially pushing against it. More than anyone, she wanted revenge, both because, despite herself, she had immense respect for Grover (as without his and Pan's aid they would've perished last summer) and because they essentially received a direct challenge from a rival war god.

Dejected but not surprised, Winona made up her mind right then and there. Once the meeting ended, she pulled Ethan aside. "I'm guessing you're going to do something stupid?" were his first words.

"What? How did you-"

"Because I'm the trustworthy one that people doing stupid things go to so that everything runs smoothly when they're gone," he said, crossing his arms, not looking at her. She didn't mind; he was blind, after all.

"Well…it's not stupid," she said, though it came out weaker than she wanted. He smirked.

"If you act on your belief with Bianca, then the only thing at stake is your life; we're already at war, right?"

"Right," she nodded. "Oh, and…don't tell anybody I'm going to the Roman camp, alright?"

"Wait, you're what?" he questioned as she left. "That isn't what I thought you were thinking!" he called after her, but no one answered. Sighing, Ethan returned to his duties.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, writing this at eight in the morning my time, so I can just quick upload it later.**

 **Not much to say about this one, other than that it was originally a lot longer. I ended up moving the second half of the chapter to chapter 56, to line up big moments of the three storylines all in a row, so for now, this is what you get.**

 **Um...yeah, not much to say, but I'd love to hear what you all have got.**

 **Until then, though, I'll see you tomorrow!**


	53. It Was A Choice

Jason had spent the better part of that night doing some hard thinking. He felt that, given enough time, he'd be able to work his way out of this ditch he found himself in. He really tried to evaluate what had happened thus far that allowed things to get this bad, in terms of within him, to where he was cowering to the whims of Leo (not that the kid was any less capable).

And all of his inner turmoil centered around Percy. Percy, Percy, Percy, it was _always_ about him. Except maybe not entirely.

Because while the Titan Slayer is immensely infuriating, he was also much more intelligent than Jason first surmised, and what he'd said during their fight was still bothering the son of Jupiter. That he didn't even try to live up to Lupa's ideals.

Jason couldn't exactly disagree, as much as he hated to admit it. The fact was that whenever he had to resort to them, to give into his inner Roman, so to speak, he became physically ill, or mentally anguished at the least. In the absolute best case scenario, Jason only had to deal with the consequences of it alienating all of his friends. Except, not all of them. He was sure that Reyna, and any other Roman who would see it, would approve.

But when he first showed that side of himself, when he had to tame Tempest, Piper and Leo had become frightened of him. They didn't understand and probably never would. At the time, Jason himself didn't understand; he had felt this foreign presence come over him and take over all of his thoughts and his actions, arrogantly proclaiming the sky as his domain…and then, in another flash, it was gone.

Jason didn't remember the next time it came up, when he was forced to use his lightning against Wrath. It was terrifying, that being the only thing he remembered about the encounter. Then, when he fought Hercules, the same sort of feeling came over him; a great, unbearable urge to surpass. It wasn't just the Argo that was one the line, it was his pride.

Finally…at Rome…enough said.

So what was the connection? What was the through-line? For the life of him, Jason couldn't figure it out.

People always said he was good at everything, that so long as he put his mind to it, that Jason could do anything. Well, imagine how frustrating it is to think that, only to hit an unclimbable wall that he couldn't overcome named "being a Roman," when it was all he wanted to say that he was one.

Maybe he wasn't cut out to be a Roman, he thought for a few fleeting, terrifying moments. Maybe he should just learn to settle down in Camp Half-Blood, and maybe Piper wouldn't be too bad to settle down with after all. Reyna? Who's that?

Except there were so many things he didn't feel like he could accept about Camp Half-Blood. For as much as he played down his grievances to Reyna for the sake of the mission, he couldn't _stand_ the loose hierarchy. When he had a question, he had no earthly clue who to ask or who to turn to except Chiron who was busy most all of the time with something, or so it seemed. For all Jason know, in the part of his brain labelled "cynic" Chiron was just _saying_ he was busy so he wouldn't have to talk to a filthy, traitorous Roman.

And gods, Camp Jupiter was beautiful. It _looked_ like a place worth defending, not just a bunch of random haphazard structures on a farm and forest. People there had lives worth defending; they didn't have any other home, and the Legion. Gods, the Legion was magnificent. So structured, so orderly, so familiar…Jason knew and could find himself being happy with his position within the Legion so long as he didn't have to go back to just another blob with no purpose in Camp Half-Blood.

And the funny part was that Jason wouldn't have thought about all of the things he despised about it had he not been in this emotional and psychological funk.

The only thing Jason wanted was to help people. He wanted to make peoples' lives safer and easier than ever before. He was under no delusion of making a utopia; if one did enough readings on that idea, then one would know it was flawed in terms of the human psyche's dealing with boredom. But if he couldn't make a utopia, he wanted to at least make his people happier. But gods! Why was that so hard? What was he missing; it was like he was one clue short of solving a murder case! Just infuriating!

He wanted to be a Roman, so why was acting and believing like a Roman so freaking difficult? Was the solution truly that he just wasn't meant for it? And what caused this mental block anyway? Why would he have subconsciously rejected Lupa's teachings? What very specific set of circumstances led to this imbalance.

That was an easy one; Tempus Brookes. She was always against Lupa's ideals. She wanted to change New Rome into something unrecognizable, or at least she made an effort to do so after she returned from her quest to retrieve the Athena Parthenos. And while some things Jason could get behind, he couldn't deny the possibility that Tempus hadn't been fit to lead the Legion after she returned.

Of course, that was before she chose to make the ultimate sacrifice for New Rome.

And just like that, it clicked. She _chose_ to do it. The more Jason thought about it, the more he thought her death was unnecessary. And yet, he couldn't imagine himself today should she have lived. From Annabeth speaking about her notebook, she was already expecting to leave New Rome; who's to say she didn't somehow plan for her own death? No, that was impossible, but the idea that her going out of their lives for good was a very real possibility. It wasn't that hard to run away.

Then, looking back on Jason's own encounters…every time he's had to rely on Lupa's teachings, it was out of desperation. He may have went along with it in some cases more than others, but the instigation was entirely out of his control.

Perhaps Jason had taken the wrong thing from Tempus' sacrifice initially. He'd thought she did so because she fully embraced Lupa teachings,, that she was going to conquer this enemy or die trying, and she ended up doing the latter. So then, Jason might've subconsciously thought of doing the same, especially after his memories and emotions and thought processes got all jumbled from the memory wipe. That Lupa's teachings were a fall back, a last resort. Something to be feared and used only when absolutely necessary for survival. Because after all, her ideals trained demigods to _survive_ , not to flourish, right?

No they weren't, and Reyna was a prime example of that. She lives a fulfilled life. She has her ups and downs, but for the most part lives every day to its fullest, or as much as she can with her responsibilities. She's _exactly_ what Lupa wanted.

And if Jason was going to get out of this funk, then he would have to become like that too. He would have to rise to meet the greatest Greek as the greatest Roman of this generation.

Once that realization came, Jason's brain immediately became wired, like he'd just drank eighteen energy drinks that will remain nameless, but may or may not say they give wings. He shot up to his feet, eager to get started, but his brain slowed to the point of proper thinking before he even made it to the door.

How was he to go about accomplishing this goal? It was a conscious choice, to be sure, but how could he show it outwardly? Did he even need to, or would it just happen naturally? Maybe nothing would change about his behavior. Maybe he would just _think_ he changed, but would never truly know. After all, the mind is really good at tricking itself into positive emotions.

Jason closed his eyes, frustrated and stuck at a wall yet again. Hand still on the doorknob, Jason walked out to see if anyone else was awake. He first checked the kitchen, or the dining table room was more appropriate. Seeing no one there, he asked for an actual energy drink, and then left after getting it.

Next, he checked the deck, figuring either Luke or Bianca would be out here, and he was correct. Luke stood leaning against the railing, eyes glued to the landscape below them.

They'd arrived at Split a day prior, as per Hecate's suggestion, but so far nothing has happened. They'd had to fight Leo every half an hour, as he wanted to quickly close the Doors to avenge Grover. A fair desire, but what would be the point of getting there if they weren't prepared to actually finish the job?

"You're up," Jason greeted the older man. He turned to the Roman, looking exhausted. "Not much sleep?"

Luke shook his head. "Call it a nightmare," he said. "Kronos keeps talking to me at night, and…I don't know…"

"What don't you know? What's he saying?"

"Things that I shouldn't agree with, things like how him and I are alike and how he might be starting to turn around and…" Luke sighed. "I really want to fight against him, because if I don't then he could just break free and cause havoc again, but…the more I look around me, the more I reflect on what I've done and what he's made me do…the more I'm beginning to believe him," he said. A long bout of silence encroached on them, before Luke broke it with a question. "I don't know; what do you think?"

"What do I think? Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're the only one I _can_ ask," he replied, not even being apologetic about it; Jason was just the best of a bad lot in Luke's eyes. The comment should've hurt a bit more than it did.

"Well…" Jason crossed his arms. "I've been thinking a lot about what he said to me, back in Venice. And I think he was right. He said…he said he regretted what he did, apparently he sacrificed a whole bunch of demigods…is that true?"

Luke's gaze returned to the landscape, eyes becoming misty. The memory was painful. "I wasn't there, nor was I in control. It was the last day of the War; we made a final push against the Greeks, loosing everything we had at them so we could sneak by and onto Olympus to try and secure the Heart before Percy had to make his choice; we wanted to use it as leverage. Well, Kronos wanted to; I didn't really have a choice…" he chuckled. "I say that, but I _did_ break free with the right motivation. I guess I should stop making excuses, huh?"

"Luke…"

"A-anyway," he quickly moved on. "Some of the monsters we threw at the demigods were drakons, big dragon-like beasts, like the Cloverfield-monster-size, if you've ever seen it. According to Percy, they…the Greeks had captured all of the demigods I'd turned to Kronos' side, apparently Kronos had ordered the drakons to destroy the buildings, one of which housed them, crushing half of them under rubble. Otherwise, he just let them loose and they were caught in the crossfire. Either way…they didn't deserve what happened to them."

"I'm…I'm sorry."

Luke didn't respond at first, trying to collect himself. He sniffed and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. "So yeah, demigods were killed. A lot of them. Too many of them," Jason offered a hand to the shoulder. "It's all we can do to move on though."

"…You lost someone, didn't you?"

"We all did," he said sullenly. "But…a-anyway, you were saying about Kronos?"

"Yeah, well…he was saying about how Percy can't hold out forever in his position, single-handedly guarding the entire Greek pantheon. I'm inclined to agree with him there. But what he said about me was…strange. He said I had to 'accept' who I was. I didn't really get it at first, so I've been staying up all freaking night trying to figure it out, trying to figure out how and why I'm feeling so…out of balance, ever since Rome. I think I get it now, but…"

"But what?"

"Listen, I know for a fact that I'm not the best Roman I could be, but I want to change that. I've started to think that Lupa…might not have been so wrong after all."

"You're saying you want to make yourself even _more_ Roman? Wasn't acting like a Roman what got you and Percy fighting?"

"I'm not so sure," Jason returned. "And I still think that was mostly Gluttony, though…I meant every word I said. I know that, too. But I _really_ think this is the best option, to…to finally be happy with myself, you know? To make a difference. When this quest is over, I want to change New Rome. I want to make it just as strong as you Greeks and your Camp Half-Blood. And I want to lead it as their praetor," the son of Jupiter offered a smile of reassurance, but Luke didn't look convinced. "Something on your mind?"

"Just wary, is all," he said, clearly hiding something. "Because when I made that kind of decision, to change the world, it didn't end well."

Taking a deep breath, Jason nodded. "And the fact that I know that has risen my anxiety levels tenfold. Thanks."

Luke chuckled. "Look, all I'm saying is that you need to be careful, sometimes the world is better off without your change, no matter how good you think it is. That said…Kronos told me something too. He said, in a more subtle way, that you needed the both of us to grow. Who knows; maybe this change is the growth, and we have to help you realize it."

"Who? You and Kronos?"

"Well, you're the one that accepted advice from him," Luke reminded.

"Ah…a fair point."

"And I don't really know how to make you a better Roman, but I do know that you suck at fighting."

"Hey! I do not!"

"And your powers are weak as hell, so you can't do much, Mr. I'm-going-to-change-the-world."

"Well, you offered to train me before, so I want to take you up on it."

Luke seemed a bit shocked that Jason would ask that, but then closed his eyes and smiled. "The greatest stories aren't about the greatest people. It's the greatest people's lives that make the greatest stories."

"What's that?"

"It's how the world works," he put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "And starting today, I'm going to make you a legend."

xxxXXXxxx

They ended up waiting for daytime in order to begin the training, with Jason offering to take night watch from there so Luke could catch up on sleep. To his surprise, Kronos didn't visit him during the night, perhaps because he was doing as he was told. While that thought didn't comfort him, he knew he shouldn't feel bad about doing this.

Jason seemed eager when Luke walked back out onto the deck. "Ready to start?" were his first words of the day.

Luke scratched the back of his head and yawned. "First, you gotta tell me what you can do," he spoke through the yawn. Luke had come prepared with a pen and paper. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't like to use your lightning, do you?"

Jason grimaced. "…No. It gets out of control too easily."

"Hm…interesting. Use it," he ordered.

"What?"

Luke pointed out to the sky. "Shoot a lightning bolt, now."

"But-"

"Now."

Jason hesitated, but obliged. Being very careful not to lose control, Jason successfully shot a small bolt into the sky, being sure not to give it too much juice, so to speak.

"Pretty good, but in real fight, you'd be toast."

"Hence why I don't use it," Jason replied. Luke scoffed.

"Please; that's not why you don't use it," he teased, grinning. "Now, you're going to do that all day until you can do it in an instant."

"But…"

"Let me guess: 'I've tried that before'?"

"Exactly. And it didn't work."

"Why not?"

Jason's voice slowly rose to a yell. "Because I got tired, because I lost control! Don't you see? That's the whole point of why I-"

"Alright, alright," Luke raised his arms in relent. "Then we're going hit your head until we get all of that doubt out of there."

"What the hell are you pulling? You said you helped my sister; what did you do for her?"

"This exact thing," he assured. "But I can tell that you're not like her. Fine, then we're going to have to come up with something else. If practice isn't gonna make this perfect, then we need another game plan."

"What…what do you have in mind?"

"Well…I've been thinking about it, and from what I've noticed, you don't really generate lightning, not how Thalia did. In the beginning at least, she had to do these fancy twirls with her special spear. It built up enough friction to allow her to create and aim a bolt."

"I know; Lady Diana told me."

"Right. But anyway, you seem to just create it, right? It's almost like you're manifesting the electrical charges of your brain into outward electricity. I mean, that would be impossible, your brain doesn't generate enough to do what you do, but the idea is there. You see what I mean?"

"I mean…kind of, but what are you getting at?"

"Okay, so first, I want to try doing it Thalia's way. You can move way faster than she could, just by your nature of being an omnibus."

"A what?"

"Not important. Anyway, you know the sensation of creating lightning. Try," Luke flicked his hand. "Doing this really fast; try and feel the friction and force it into a spark. It's so small that it's impossible to lose control."

"That seems a bit…optimistic," Jason said, though he did try it. It took him a few tries, but eventually, he was able to feel it. Once he did, the spark appeared and stayed contained in his palm. It was the first time he was able to get a good look at, what was in practice, lightning in a bottle, only instead of glass, it was a bottle of Jason's will. He closed his hand into a fist, and the lightning seemed to fizzle out like a match.

"Nice, good work," Luke said. "Okay, so this shows us that your powers and hers _can_ work the same. You probably just took different progression paths and ideas when you discovered it. Okay, now, make a spark just like that, only like you normally do."

"But-"

"No 'but's; you can do this."

Taking another deep breath, Jason held his hand out, and held the wrist with his other. Within a few seconds, the air about his palm heated up, until sparks prickled on his fingertips. He gave it a little more oomph, and then sparks flew out unexpectedly. "Ah!" Jason shook his head, putting out the sparks like he would a flame. "See, it doesn't work like that."

"Okay, okay, no, that's good. So we've established that you lose control not from the lightning itself, but because you seem to have difficulty controlling forces that feed directly off of your energy. Well, maybe not entirely; I guess it's more accurate to say the forces _created_ from your energy. And before you say it, it's not exclusively for your lightning. I've seen you do your sonic screams and thunderclaps, and you can't control those either, at least in the same way you can't control your lightning. You _can_ control it in that it relies on your body's natural movement and muscles to generate the effect, so you could control your sonic screams in that you can choose to scream louder or softer like you normally could, same with the force of how hard you clap. But my guess is that it takes the same amount of energy. As well, it's not like you can control which direction your claps go in; it's a full spherical boom, right?"

Jason nodded, quickly picking it up. "And with my wind, it's not like I create the wind, I just use what's around me. So maybe I'd lose control of like super-breath, or whatever it would be?"

"Maybe, though it may function like your screams. I don't know. As well, just because we know this doesn't mean you can't use your innate energy. Percy uses his to create water, to great effect. You may not be able to use your power in the same way, but you should be able to use it in creative ways."

Jason crossed his arms, falling into thought. "…This is new to me; I never really tried thinking it through like this…what if I used my body as a conduit?"

"How do you mean?"

"Like, I make lightning using the hand thing and then use my own power to amplify it, or something?"

"It…could work. For now, let's focus on getting the basics down, though, yeah? Alright, going on with my observations, I've noticed that when you _do_ use your lightning, you're using it exclusively. Is that true?"

"Well, yeah. I really need to focus, so I can't be flying at the same time or anything. But with this, if I can work with it enough, then maybe I could."

"No way; too advanced," Luke said. "We're trying to do things that you can pick up and use immediately. If I had to guess, mastering using both at once might take years. Thalia couldn't even use wind, and it still took her years to master lightning. And I'm betting it took you years to master wind, right?"

Jason nodded. Luke was right on the money; it was sometimes scary how accurate he could be. "Wait, there was one time that I used both; against Percy, I flew as I used my lightning," he said quickly, having just thought of it. "But…I also lost control, I think. It's…hard to remember. You know when you're mad and you see red? It's like that, but white and literal; my body works on its own."

"Like a defense mechanism," Luke surmised. "Good to know, but not very relevant since it's not reliable. You said when you use lightning, you have to truly focus on it, right? Does the same hold true for your wind?"

"At first, it was like that, because it was so new. By the time I turned seven or eight, though, I was flying through the air with no problem."

"Okay. On that line of thought, for now, for today, I want you to focus entirely on your wind. I'm going to push you harder than you could've ever pushed yourself."

"What…what do you mean?"

"I mean, I want you to forget your lightning even exists. I want you to focus all of your power on making your wind its strongest. Then, once you've mastered that, we're going to do the same for your lightning. Given your talents, I'm giving you a day to do the former."

Jason grimaced. "You're expectations are too high."

"Are they?" Luke smirked. "Fly around. Go fast, push yourself. When you can move fast enough, I won't be able to stop you from landing. Then you can stop."

"…You're insane."

"Yep."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So I'm actually pretty apprehensive about posting this particular chapter, because usually explaining too much about a power system is narrative suicide, especially if you write it somewhat fast and loose during the action scenes. That said, I feel like I really need to differentiate Jason's joruney back from the brink, from Percy's in _The Cruel Spider_. Both happen in the fourth act of the story, both suffered a major moral and physical defeat as the climax of the third act, and both need to be in a position of dominance and confidence come the end of the fourth act to lead into their acting on their revelations come the fifth act.**

 **So yeah, I need things to be different. So, instead of a straight-up inspiration derived from the power of love (it was way cooler than that in TCS, I promise), Jason here takes a more practical approach in truly thinking through and attempting to work through his problems. But enough out of me, let me know what you thought!**

 **But with that, I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	54. Repressed Desires

**Warning: This chapter contains sexual material that may or may not rub you the wrong way depending on your personal values and how stringent your beliefs on sex and sexuality are. All characters are of legal age so don't get your knickers in a twist. In any case, you have been warned.**

* * *

" _Why am I not trying to stop this?_ " was the first thought that entered Piper's head as she waltzed out onto the deck. She saw the oddest, and scariest, sight; Luke was continually attacking Jason as he tried to fly toward the ship, only to be beaten back each time. It should've probably freaked her out, given how dangerous Luke had proven himself to be at times, but given that both were shouting childish insults and words of encouragement in equal measure, Piper couldn't help but laugh.

As she drew closer to Luke, she had to stifle it, not wanting to affect Jason's mood at all. Taking out her pen, Piper wrote in Greek, 'I hope you haven't turned on us.'

"Me? Never," Luke assured, though in a joking manner. "I'm working him 'til he drops."

Piper looked over to Jason, who had momentarily stopped trying to get back onto the Argo. Sweat poured from his body, beaded onto his arms. He was hunched over, hands on knees. "I'm glad one of us seems to be having fun," he commented.

"Oh yeah; this is the most levity I've had in years," Luke claimed. "But, because I have to be responsible, I'll ask how the others are doing. Bianca?"

'I popped into her room; she was resting there; seems she had a rough talk with Winona,' Piper explained. 'And Leo is also in his room. He's,' she considered her words. 'being consistent with how he's been lately.'

Luke nodded. "And we haven't gotten any sign of why we're here either. Pretty soon, it's gonna get difficult to justify staying."

Piper nodded. 'For all we know, Percy and Annabeth are already at the other side, fighting for their lives.'

The thought didn't help to raise morale. Piper moved to the edge of the Argo and scanned the area, just like last time. After looking for a few seconds, she saw a small pale orb of light, signaling that a god was calling her, just like last time. She pointed at it, just to test if the others could see it; they couldn't, just like last time.

"Another god?" Luke guessed. Piper nodded. "Well, I guess that's what we came here for."

"I can take you," Jason offered.

"Nu-uh, you're not getting off that easy," Luke smirked. "And besides, you're dog tired; I doubt you could lift her."

Piper frowned. 'Fat-joke?' Luke shrugged. 'Fine, then you'll take me.'

"Eh? You know how I am with gods," he reminded her.

'You took me last time,' she reminded him. After a brief stalemate, Luke conceded.

"Fine, just…if things go wrong, it's on you," he said, before turning to Jason. "And you; if I find out you got back on the ship, I'm kicking your ass. In fact, when I get back I'm kicking it anyway, so you'd better be able to out-run me by then," he warned, to which Jason grimaced and nodded, head hung low.

With a smile, Piper climbed onto Luke's back, and he leapt from the side after Piper pointed out where to go. Again, just like last time, the light drifted steadily away, forcing them to jog after it, through the busy streets of Split.

"Think we're gonna find poisonous cow monsters here?" Luke wondered aloud. Piper, not able to speak because of the mass of people around her, simply shot him a confused look. "Never mind," he muttered, continuing behind her. "So, did Hecate ever say who was going to be here?" she shook her head. "Did she say _anything_ useful?" Piper shook her head again. "Just where to go? Whatever."

The jog to their destination was peaceful, all things considered. At least they were safe the entire time, though Piper couldn't say she felt that way all the way. Split was a beautiful city, but when you have an exotic girl…well, needless to say she got some lustful looks here and there. And even though Luke was there, and she knew she was naturally stronger than all of the punks that eyed her, she still avoided them. Call her paranoid, but any one of them could've been a succubus or sparkling vampire ready to eat her. Or maybe she _was_ just paranoid.

Eventually they arrived at a church, and the light led them through a Mist-created wall, down into its depths. Now alone, Piper was able to speak. "You think there's something like this in every building?"

"Doubt it," Luke said. "Though, if every monster lived _with_ humans, and every god and spirit lived among them too, there'd be enough to have one hidden in every building…probably."

"…You're weird."

"Hey, I get weird thoughts; don't judge."

"Oh, I'm not judging, I'm just laying down the facts," she teased.

"Uh-huh. Wonder why it took us here, though," he said, to which Piper shrugged, disinterested. "I mean, we're in Diocletian's Palace; it's half of this town, but I don't recall any significance with this place in particular."

Despite his questioning, Luke didn't hold them up from continuing further down. The strange part began when they emerged into what looked like an open-air courtyard, surrounded by walls of stone that looked much older than the palace designs from above. A thin fog rested into the courtyard, making the two somewhat wary to venture too far apart from one another. "You know, I should be shocked to see something like this, but at this point…" Piper commented.

"It may not be the weirdest thing, but it's still weird. I mean, who even called you here? You'd think whoever did would greet you here," Piper shrugged again. "You know, you might want to care a little more."

"Hey, I've been dealing with a crying infant for almost two weeks; I don't want to hear it," she frowned. Luke sighed, figuring he should cut her some slack. They _did_ kind of force the duty on her, of taking care of the little girl. But on that note, Percy and Annabeth _did_ force their hand in going on this stupid journey to Epirus, and Luke knew he sounded facetious, by falling into Tartarus like idiots. With a sigh, Luke had resigned himself to that fact a week and a half ago, and now with another sigh, he reaffirmed that feeling.

"Hey, careful," he said, as Piper went to touch everything around her like an infant would. " _Maybe the baby is rubbing off on her,_ " he thought, chuckling to himself.

Piper didn't stop touching, however, as she picked up a rod in the ground, and held it up. "Arrows," she said. "Archer god?"

"Apollo is comatose, and Percy said Artemis is recovering from an attack up on Olympus."

"Well, then how else do you explain this?" she gave him the arrow. Luke examined it a bit further, seeing Latin etching on it.

"It says…Et in Arcadia ego; even in Arcadia, here I am."

"What's that?"

"It's a Roman proverb; it means something like 'the grass is greener on the other side, but death is absolute', with 'I' referring to death. Here, hand me another one," he requested, to which she obliged, and he spoke as she did. "I don't think Thanatos is here, or…Letus, since these phrases are in Latin. Not to mention, he's not an archer," he pondered, getting another arrow. "Ama me usque dum dolet. Si dolet signum bonum est; Love until it hurts. If it hurts, is it good," he translated, getting another arrow. "Fortis est ut mors dilectio; love is as strong as death."

"Beginning to see a pattern here," Piper muttered, handing him a fourth.

"Amor vincit omnia; love conquers all things," he translated. And then suddenly, he felt a godly presence appear, though he couldn't pinpoint it.

"Sub amor omnia resolvuntur," a voice of steel pierced their ears, resonating through them. Piper and Luke went back to back, Luke feeling Kronos beginning to wake up, so to speak.

"W-what does that mean?" Piper questioned.

"And all things crumble under love," Luke said. "Piper, this is Cupid's domain; the god of cruel love."

As if on cue, something appeared in Luke's view. He managed to avoid it, craning his neck to avoid the head-shot, but that didn't save Piper. She lurched forward as an arrow hit her. As soon as it connected, and as soon as she reacted, the arrow dropped to the ground and no blood came from the wound.

Piper caught herself and reached up to the back of her head where she was hit. Feeling nothing, she turned to Luke, eyes wide. He saw her expression change slowly, like she was fighting the arrow's influence and losing. It turned from scared to…aroused. Her eyes lowered and her lips curled into a lascivious smirk. "You…oh…" her cheeks turned red. "I never realized…"

"Piper…stop," he tried to stay calm, but with Kronos vying for control of his body, Cupid on the prowl, and Piper succumbing to his influence…He feared it would all turn bad.

"You're, like, _crazy_ handsome, Luke," she said, stepping closer, deliberately showing off her curves. "Ooh…" she placed a tender hand on his chest, but he swatted it away and grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey, listen to me; you've got to snap out of it. Cupid is making you feel these things," Luke said, as he felt his body freeze up; Kronos' doing no doubt.

"Oh, don't be like that, Luke-y. I've _always_ found you, just…so hot! Ugh! I'm so hot around you!" she quickly lifted her shirt over her head, despite Luke's protestations. Luke will admit that he checked her out; she was an attractive girl practically begging for it. So he could help himself, even if he only took one or two brief glances before she advanced. In those glances, however, he noticed something peculiar; a large scar in her abdomen. "Ever since I got to Camp Half-Blood, I've seen so many guys catch my eye, but you! You're head and shoulder above the rest!" she pressed herself into him. He tried to push her away, but the strain of keeping the Titan Lord under control was quickly overriding his motor functions. He couldn't move, focusing every ounce of his being on keeping Kronos at bay. And so, he just had to take it, and try and talk her out of it.

"Piper. Piper!" he snapped, briefly getting her attention. "This isn't you. You're stronger than this! You have to believe you're stronger than this!"

"What? I've been keeping this in all of this time; I can't have even a _little_ fun?"

"No! Not with me! I…y-you're still a minor, aren't you?"

"Oh, we Greeks don't have to deal with those mortal rules, do we? We never cared about them before…" she giggled, leaning closer and nibbling the lobe of his ear. "Oh, you're so much more _fun_ than Jason. He never even batted an eye at me, but you…you're so fun to _play_ with!" as she said 'play' she pushed him to the ground and climbed on top of him, starting to kiss him. Luke closed his eyes.

In hindsight, this was hilarious; dude nearly toppled the entirety of Olympus, went toe-to-toe with a Giant, and was likely one of the most skilled swordsmen to have ever lived. Yet, here he was, powerless to stop a woman from making advances on him that he didn't want. Truly, love was the most powerful of all forces. Well, Cupid's twisted, forced, lustful love, in any case.

"Piper, I figure you feel unwanted since Jason rejected you. I figure that those repressed desires are what are coming out right now; not any kind of love for me. It's alright. It's alright, Piper; I've been rejected too."

"Oh, shut up!" she pressed her lips to his. "You talk too much. Boys are better if they don't talk, like me!"

"But-"

"Come on," she leaned close to his ear again. "Just kiss me back already," she ordered, and kept repeating it over and over, and for a moment, Luke thought about giving in. No, he didn't even think about it; it was like a primal desire, a gut reaction, like when you get startled at a jump-scare. He figured that this was what it felt like to be Charmspoken. He was even beginning to enjoy it, save for the fact that he couldn't move.

Because, gods, when was the last time he had a woman close to him? Not just physically, but emotionally? Not since Thalia had laid bare her own insecurities on the streets had Luke felt he knew someone so well, seen their innermost desires. It almost felt unfair that he didn't share his own, though she already knew of his crimes and regrets. And yet…she didn't seem to care. Luke couldn't be sure how much of that was Cupid's doing. In hindsight, none of the lack of care came from the god.

And then, when it felt like he would burst if he didn't give in, everything stopped. Piper stopped rubbing her body against his on the ground. She stopped whispering sweet nothings in his ear, stopped kissing, even stopped breathing. When Luke opened his eyes, he saw her eyes wide with equal parts horror and embarrassment.

She scrambled off of him, face red as a tomato, to get her shirt, which she put on so hastily that she didn't bother to fix that it was inside-out, facing the opposite way from him, arms held close to her chest. Both of them were speechless.

Kronos, as if in some kind of sick joke, stopped trying to force control away from Luke, allowing him to move despite Cupid's presence still being there. He picked up the arrow that hit Piper. "Amor caecus corde; love blinds the heart," he translated.

"And isn't it true?" Cupid wondered, shimmering into view. Shirtless, looking like a Christian angel more than a Greek god, Cupid stood with an expressionless face and bow in hand. Luke stood, and put himself between Piper and the god, just in case he tried to pull something again. "Quite the show, daughter of love."

She didn't respond. In fact, at his voice, she made to leave. She only took a few steps before Luke caught her arm. "Wait, he called you here for a reason."

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, yanking her arm away. "Don't _ever_ touch me again!"

Luke took a deep breath, knowing that he had to give her a lot of breathing room for a while. Thankfully, she stayed. "So what's your play, god?" Luke questioned. "Why bring her here only to do that?"

"Lies are less common when they know what's at stake," was all he said.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were sent here by the goddess Hecate," he said. "She knows that you need information that I have; a warning of what you'll face when you arrive at the Doors of Death. But I do not give information for free."

"We don't have anything to give," Luke claimed.

"I want nothing of material, Titan," Cupid said, voice going cold again, piercing through the demigods like daggers. "I want to know something you haven't told anyone, and that you never wanted to," he said, making Piper freeze. The slightest hint of a smile crept onto Cupid's lips. "Good, you know _exactly_ what I speak of?"

"Why?" Luke questioned. "You seem to know it already, don't you?"

"Consider it a game; I want to see you demigods squirm," he smiled, teeth too perfect to be anything but unfair.

"I was in love with Thalia Grace," Luke said, wanting to take the fall for Piper so she wouldn't have to say anything regrettable.

"Plenty of your friends knew that," Cupid said. "I could list them off if you wished, Titan. And I care not for your secrets; you will return to your destined place in due time."

Luke's voice caught at the mention of his inevitable return to the realm of the dead. He turned to Piper, who still faced away from him. Her face was still red, and Luke figured that she was still a bit, uh…hot and bothered from the experience. Luke was definitely, albeit unwillingly, feeling an intense attraction to her after they, uh…yeah.

Piper finally spoke. "…I hate you."

"To hate me is the hate love," Cupid claimed. "Do you hate love?"

"You don't have to answer that," Luke claimed, seeing Piper shaking at the question. Gods, she was really struggling.

"Tell me, child, do you hate love?"

"So what if I do!" she whirled around, tears staining her face. "All it's ever given me is pain and regret!"

Luke was taken aback by the outburst; was Jason's rejection _really_ that devastating?

"Every time I try and get close to someone they get hurt, or they leave me, or both! I try and I try to protect them but I'm never strong enough! I always let them get hurt! I always…I always end up killing them…"

"Piper…"

"Are you going to tell me your secret, child? Or must I force it out of you?" at his whim, several dozen arrows appeared around her and Luke, so close that any move would mean they'd be stuck and go through that horrible situation all over again. Luke, at first, tried to use Kronos' power to grab all of the arrows before Cupid could stick them with his stupid love arrows, but he was frozen again, with the Titan Lord vying for control, again. No doubt he wanted to hear her secret too, to get some dirt on her for later use or something. Or maybe he felt she would grow from this experience, in line with his more recent, confusing actions.

Piper spoke so quietly that both Luke and Cupid had trouble hearing her. "I killed him," she said.

"What was that? Speak up, or else."

"I said I killed him," Piper spoke a bit louder, fresh tears rolling down her face, still red by the way, body shaking again.

"Who?"

"My dad! I killed him!"

The revelation was like a bomb dropping, blowing away everything in the immediate vicinity, that being the arrows were blown away. Cupid smirked, knowing his job was done.

Luke turned to face her. "…Piper…how?"

Still crying, Piper recounted the tale. "…He never noticed me; he was a big movie star and all. He was always busy, never noticed me…I already said that. It was just…really frustrating, you know?" she chuckled sadly. "So when I got Charmspeak, I did everything I could to get him to notice me. I stole a car, I interrupted his shoots, I made his assistant do stupid things in front of him. He knew what it was, I think. He knew I had Charmspeak, from knowing my mom. He gave in after a while, and I was so happy. We were going to go to the beach together, just the two of us, for two weeks, just the two of us…but…he wasn't really there. He was always on the phone, taking to his agent about new roles. We had to drive from New York to Los Angeles; I wanted to drive, he wanted to fly, and the whole time he was on the phone. And I got mad, that he wasn't paying attention to me. So I yelled at him, told him to put down the phone. He got mad at me too, I guess he was about to score a big role…again…we started arguing, and…" she took a deep breath. "…And I got _so_ mad…and I said that sometimes I wished he would just die. And he took it literally. And he drove us both off the road and into a tree at ninety miles an hour. He died on impact, I got," she lifted her shift to show the scar. "This…and then…then I stopped talking…"

"By the gods…Piper, I had no idea…"

"And…then it kept going, you know? I tried to hide it, and made people forget when I slipped up. When I got good at hiding it, I met Leo and then Grover and Jason, and then…everything went really well. I started to forget, and then Jason…" rejected her. She didn't need to explain that part. "And then things got worse and worse…until Rome. I couldn't stop them from fighting…Then Percy fell in Tartarus…Leo got really badly hurt, Grover died…and Jason got…sad again…"

"Piper, that wasn't your fault. Nothing could've-"

"It _was_ my fault!" she snapped. "My Charmspeak is the strongest thing we have! I can control each and every one of you if I practiced and wanted to! I could take over both camps and destroy everything if I wanted! I could've stopped Annabeth from leaving on her own, I could've stopped the bastard who killed Grover, I could've stopped Jason and Percy from fighting! I could've stopped everything if I hadn't been so scared…if I hadn't…" Piper dropped to her knees, now too exhausted to even speak, only able to cry and sob loudly. Luke kneeled down and held her in a hug, trying to comfort her, her tears staining his chest.

Luke glared at Cupid, who'd been quiet as she recounted her story. "Are you happy?" he demanded.

"I am," Cupid grinned, appearing just as sadistically cruel as before; no remorse for hurting Piper like he had. He stepped forward. "You will receive a dream tonight. It will show your immediate adversaries. Oh, and do remember that Greece has a gatekeeper. Now leave me."

"With pleasure," Luke said, lifting Piper up to her feet. Stumbling at first, the two walked right out of there without looking back. By the time they made it out of the palace, Piper had stopped crying. Her eyes were puffy, streaks staining her cheeks, but the tears stopped falling. Soon, she wiped herself off and took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "Luke…?"

"Yeah?"

"…I can tell why you don't like the gods…"

He dared to let out a chuckle. "Heh, yeah…I'm guessing you want me to keep your secret?"

"…If you could…Jason wouldn't understand," she claimed. Luke frowned, about to say something like 'you need to give him more credit', but maybe she was right; he had enough on his plate. Maybe she could tell him after the Giant War, assuming they both survived.

"Not a problem. And Piper…you should know I don't have any room to judge. All I'll say is that…you deserve a chance at happiness too, just like you all have given to me."

She gave off a little smile. "Thanks…"

By the time they made it back to the Argo II, it was nighttime. Somehow, Jason looked ready for a fight, still floating. "…You gonna be good from here?" Luke asked Piper softly.

"Actually, I…I want to watch," she said, quietly so Jason didn't hear, not that that phrase would've made him do anything since it wasn't a command. Luke pursed his lips. He was a bit hesitant that she seemed to want to watch the object of her desire, even if she had given up on obtaining it. Still, he nodded, and she sat against the opposite railing.

"Alright, Roman," Luke stretched his back. "Let's see how far you've come."

"That some kinda motto?"

"Something like that," Luke said, preparing himself. Taking a deep breath, Jason flew upwards. "Huh? You're supposed to…oh, I see…"

As Jason flew, he gathered up the wind as he passed, flying up and around and this way and that until he was like a speeding bullet. Even as time dilated in Luke's view, Jason was moving like a jet plane. Finally, he shot himself forward, creating a sonic boom as his direction settled. Luke smirked; he was going way too slow to get past him. But when he reached the edge of the ship, as Luke jumped up to intercept, Jason disappeared from view, and Luke was blasted back down to the deck as if by the wind. When he recovered, he saw Jason crouched, just landing, on the deck of the Argo. Jason gave Luke a smirk before the son of Hermes resumed time normally, only to be blasted to the edge of the ship from the carried wind. In fact, the ship was nearly destroyed from all of the pent up energy Jason had been storing, lurching heavily and some of the wooden planks weathering away in seconds from the force.

Piper had it the worst, being sent flying off the Argo. Her voice caught in her throat, about to yell for someone to catch her, but she didn't. "Jason!" Luke called, pointing towards her. Jason quickly looked and dashed, diving down to catch her, just like he'd done in the Grand Canyon, all those many months ago.

"Don't worry, I've got you," he said soothingly. Piper said nothing, face red again, the experience with Cupid still fresh in her head. She felt his arm gripped around her stomach to hold her, hand on her scar, not that he knew.

The two landed back onto the deck, Piper awkwardly stepping away from the son of Jupiter. "That was…incredible. How'd you do it?" Luke questioned.

"Remember when I said I might be able to use my body as a conduit? Well, it's kinda like that. When I gather all of that energy, all of that wind, it's like it becomes a part of me, like I'm amplifying its power using my own. When I explained it, I thought it would be like addition, like my power adds to it, but now that I've tried it, I'd say it's more multiplication. Then, when I need to use it, I just used it all in a big burst."

"And that's when you jumped in speed at the end," Luke guessed. "Fantastic. And that's also not even mentioning how much faster you've gotten without that extra skill."

"Seven times faster; I clocked it," Jason grinned, looking genuinely excited.

"Okay, so, and this is just a guess, but I'm betting flying, for you, is like running. It generally makes you more fit. So, in theory, your blasts should be-"

Jason beat him to the punch, turning around holding his hand out, and shooting off a blast of air, visible and concussive. "It's…so much stronger now…" Jason marveled at his newfound power. "And this was all in just a day! Can you imagine what I could do in a month?"

"Man, Percy's gonna have some competition when he gets back," Luke put a hand on his hip, impressed. "Alright. Let's all get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll set off, and you can start lightning."

With a few nods of agreement, the three returned to their rooms.

As foretold, though, Piper had a vision of a dream.

Almost as soon as she fell asleep, she woke back up in her dream. At first she assumed it was just going to be a black void, where she was shown their opponents like game show contestants. As her eyes adjusted, however, she realized that that wasn't going to be the case.

She found herself in a dark room, not unlike where they'd found Annabeth and the Athena Parthenos. To her right was a stairway leading up, which was the only exit aside from one exception that didn't really count. This mad her think they were underground. The only other notable structure was a set of doors, the Doors of Death, with nothing but a red glow coming from them, which presumably led into Tartarus.

Next to the Doors, though, was a shadowy figure, and that was literal. It didn't seem natural, literally just a mound of darkness in the form of a man, standing unmoving next to the sickening red glow of the Doors. From its presence, however, Piper knew it was a Giant. Judging from its statuesque appearance thus far, Piper assumed it was Sloth. This was confirmed by the other person in the room.

It was a woman, looking human, at least in the fact that she was flesh and blood. Looking to be around forty, the woman seemed…disturbing. Somehow. It was just a feeling, but Piper was getting nothing but bad vibes from her. The daughter of Aphrodite stepped a bit closer, to get a closer look at the both of them, whom she assumed were to be their 'immediate adversaries' as Cupid had said. Big mistake.

With a single step, the woman turned toward her. Piper froze. " _Does she know I'm here?"_ she thought. " _No, that's impossible…right?"_

And yet, the woman walked toward her, stopped in front of her, and leaned close to her. "You were sent by a god, yes?" the woman wondered. Piper held her breath. Maybe she was referring to someone else. She craned her neck to look at the entrance. "Don't look away from me," the woman said, making Piper snap back to her. She _did_ know Piper was here.

"Do we have a visitor?" the shadow asked, its voice sounding vaguely masculine. Though, it was also little more than a paradoxically loud whisper.

"That we do, Sloth," the woman said. "A little pest, likely with those fool demigods on their way to us."

"You…can see me?" Piper asked hesitantly, hoping this wouldn't turn into a horror-fest like with Cupid.

"Of course I can see you; no amount of Mist can obscure you from me, child. I am the great witch Pasiphaë, the most powerful in all of Greece!"

"You're…a witch? And you're working with the Giants? Why, to…get revenge? Didn't Poseidon trick you into loving a bull or something?"

"You think too small. As the Giants work to conquer Olympus, all of the Ancient Lands are left for me. Vengeance has no home in my endgame. And what of you?"

"What about me? We're coming to stop you, and to close the Doors."

"Ha! Hilarious," the woman turned deadpan for a moment, before her voice went low and threatening. "You have _no hope_ of defeating me. Your Charmspeak does not affect me. Your eyes are far too easy to deceive. You will not make it three minutes in my realm, especially when I have _so much_ to toy you with."

"What…what are you talking about?"

"The Mist is quite the invention; it knows all and sees all and hears all. Even your secrets. Even your desires and emotions. Yes, there is a reason I mastered it; to take advantage of gullible demigods such as yourself. I promise you; your patricide will be evoked again. And even if you overcome me, by some miracle, I promise that _no one_ will want to speak to you ever again. Because after all, who would want to associate with someone who killed their own father?" Pasiphaë began laughing.

"Shut up," Piper warned, putting all of her Charmspeak into it. The witch continued her cackle, growing louder as Piper continued to protest. "Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! You don't know a thing about me!"

"On the contrary," Pasiphaë got close to her ear, just as she did with Luke, her form shifting from Jason to her father to Luke and then resting in Cupid's form. "I know you all too well, Piper McLean, and who you fear the most."

Piper shot up in her bed, sweating, panting, and unable to think clearly. It took her a good few minutes to realize that she was back in the Argo II, safe in her bed. And yet, she felt anything but safe. Even as she calmed down from her nightmare, from her vision, she couldn't be anything but restless. Cupid's torture had done more to her than she'd care to admit and unearthed feelings and desires she'd buried for fear of ruining the friendships she'd somehow torn together from her hopelessness, like a jigsaw puzzle of depression and anxiety.

She…she needed relief, by any means necessary. Piper stood, not believing what she was about to do, and walked down the hall to the boy's rooms. She knocked on the door, and waited, heart pounding in her chest, cheeks already red from the thoughts coursing through her head, of the impulses she felt, the hormones affecting her every action. "What's the password?" a strong voice came from the other side. It seemed tired yet light. Just what she needed.

"Velaira," she said.

The first thing she saw when she opened the door was the yellow in his hair, and the blue in his eyes. "Incorrect," he said, to which Piper smiled.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," Luke said back, smiling back. "Are you feeling weird too?"

"…" Piper nodded, but kept her head down to hide her face. He gestured for her to come in, and she obliged. He closed the door, and it was all but sealed.

"You're too young," Luke reminded her, though it seemed more playful as they both got undressed.

"Talk about honor," she teased, removing her shirt. He felt her scar as she did, making her shiver. "Age of consent in Croatia is fifteen, if it makes you feel better."

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that, and no, it doesn't."

"Well then…my eighteenth was actually in March," she was now fully naked, arms spread out. "And I'm all yours."

"I want you to know…I don't love you, not in the romantic sense anyway."

"And I don't love you either," she returned. "But this doesn't have to be romantic. And you know we both need this."

Luke sighed, but was smiling. "…Love can be platonic," he agreed.

"It _does_ conquer all," Piper reminded him, pushing him to his bed.

"And all things crumble under it."

She leaned close to his ear, nibbling his lobe. "Even the pain."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So this chapter might get me banned. I dunno whether this would be considered more explicate than chapter 40. I suppose that'll be up to you.**

 **Anyway, this is my personal favorite chapter for House of Hades thus far; I just enjoy the characters and how they react to the situation I put them in. I like that both of the normally in-control characters of Luke and Piper are put into a situation where they're both disarmed and vulnerable emotionally and laid bare for the other and are able to understand each other in a more meaningful way than they could have otherwise. I like how we get more backstory with Piper and what really happened to where she just stopped speaking and, after all this time, we know and can understand why she decided to up and stop speaking altogether.**

 **And slight analysis stuff, I like how this is a second example of my idea for Piper's relations to the others, with a kind of platonic love rather than romantic. We saw that she was able to adjust, at least in part, her feeling toward Jason to be platonic and devoted, and we see it now with Luke, though how much of this new attraction is because of Cupid will be left for you to decide.**

 **Also, I love that Cupid is a dick. That's like the one thing I can say for sure was an A+ writing decision by Riordan, and I wanted to capitalize on it.**

 **Before I go, I want to go over some logistical crap. So, it looks like I'll need to take a break post chapter 58. It won't be too long before I put out the rest of House of Hades, but since I've been trying to hammer out my own book, I'm not able to spend as much time or effort on this as I perhaps would if it was my sole project. Just wanted to give a warning.**

 **But enough from me; what did you think? Leave me a review if you have thoughts, and I'll see you tomorrow!**


	55. I Should Be Better

It was common for Percy to see other timelines as he slept. It might've been said before, but now is as good a time as any to repeat it, given that that's exactly what happened after Percy passed out from the arai. The way he figured it worked was that he unconsciously knew about each of these timelines, but couldn't have fully registered them all at once when Luke showed them. Now, in his sleep, as his mind compartmentalized everything he'd experienced, he might do the same for one of these timelines.

This time _was_ special however. Normally, he was an active agent in the dream. He didn't have any free will in the events that occurred, but he was always in the other Percy's body. This time, though, he retained not only his body, but all of his emotions and feelings and memories. And all of his guilt.

"Come on; let me introduce you to my _other_ family," Other Percy said as he came into view. And not just him; all of Camp Jupiter came into view, as the Argo II descended into New Rome. Instantly, this Other Percy's memories flooded into Percy's head. Everything happened similarly to how Percy had gone about things during the Titan War, only he was younger, and his father wasn't an asshole and had actually claimed him when he was supposed; that was probably the catalyst for the change.

Other Percy had two people in his arms, which Percy knew were Frank and Hazel. In Other Percy's timeline, he'd been sent to Camp Jupiter instead of Annabeth, and unwillingly; everything that happened did so solely by the whims of Juno, and had gone on a quest with the two to rescue Thanatos, just as Annabeth, Reyna, and Luke had done.

Other Percy looked happy, if a bit tense. Others were around them that Percy vaguely recognized, that praetor woman who had frozen on him, and the blond boy that'd been with him, and a few other blurs of faces he saw briefly in Camp Jupiter as well. What struck him, though, was how laid-back Other Percy seemed, as everyone readied their weapons for an attack, and a warship descended upon New Rome, Other Percy had a goofy grin on his face.

The scene shifted to the banquet that happened later that day. "I want to show you around New Rome. Just you and me," Other Percy had whispered into Other Annabeth's ear. The girl got a twisted look on her face, one of betrayal, as everyone around her minded their business and ate like there was no tomorrow. Once Reyna, the praetor woman, called a toast to friendship and introductions, the individual groups shared their stories, of rescuing Juno and Thanatos respectively. Other Jason whistled.

"No wonder they made you praetor," he said, obviously impressed. Both he and Other Percy wore the standard decorations of the rank. Percy couldn't help but scowl at that; that not only was he regarded as an equal to Other Jason, a unfair thought to be sure, but that Other Percy would even _think_ of associating so closely with the Romans as to have rank within their army. Other Percy nodded.

"On the bright side, both Jason _and_ I outrank you, Octavian. So we can _both_ tell you to shut up," said Other Percy, to which he and Other Jason fist-bumped.

"Stop being so happy," Percy demanded, even though he knew they wouldn't hear him. "Gods, you're _so_ annoying! He's a Roman! You should be at each other's throats! Like I was with the bastard!" he found his voice rising to a yell. " _Or maybe this was the right approach; you saw how the bickering turned out…"_ some irritating part of his brain called 'rational thought' cooed.

Percy realized he'd missed part of the conversation, as Octavian, the blond boy, began reciting a prophecy. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall," he began, to which Annabeth finished.

"An oath to keep with a final breath, and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

At that, Percy couldn't help but realize how simple it was, at least simpler than their Prophecy of Seven. Seven half-bloods; either Jason or Leo would destroy…something. An oath presumably on the River Styx; demigods, probably Greek and Roman (foes), or possibly demigods working with Titans or Giants, working together to get to the Doors. Easy. Even Percy could figure it out. Gods, but his own timeline's Oracle had a huge purple-prose stick up her ass, didn't she?

Percy was getting restless; usually something bad happened around this point, but they just kept droning on and on about things that weren't important, like how Minerva was a maiden goddess and stupid crap like that. "Do something!" he called to them, and his wish was granted. He jumped forward to some shit going down.

For some reason, Leo and Octavian, the two you shouldn't trust, were allowed to tour the Argo II alone, as some way to placate the wariness of the Romans. Percy saw the cannon fire immediately as a red glow, but Other Percy and Other Everybody-The-Fuck-Else was slower on the uptake, letting a few hit New Rome before they did anything. Instead of immediately trying to diffuse the situation, Other Percy stood there as tensions rose and the Romans assumed Leo was attacking them. From there, it was a mad scramble for the chosen Seven, Percy, Jason, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Frank, and Hazel, to climb aboard the Argo II to begin the quest forcibly.

Come to think of it, Percy had no earthly idea who his "Seven" were. Obviously, he and Annabeth were a part of it, and so was Jason, Pier, and Leo. That made five. Was it the other two who went on the Camp Jupiter quest, meaning Reyna and Luke? Except Reyna didn't come with them. Only six demigods left Camp Jupiter, so was Luke one of them, or did he not count since he's technically supposed to be dead? Bianca was rescued; is she one of them?

Realizing that he was thinking too hard, Percy occupied himself by becoming increasingly annoyed as the Other Seven went on their merry little journey where everyone got along save for a bit of relationship drama that Percy didn't care about. Though, if Other Percy saw _his_ timeline, he'd probably say the same about his and Jason's squabbles. Hell, Percy himself would probably say that if he had to re-experience their trip to Rome. Thankfully, he didn't have to spend the whole time they used to make the journey, just the important parts. Or rather, the parts that made him mad. Like when Octavian attacked Annabeth and Piper, and Other Percy blasted Octavian and made some stupid quip like, "I think you dropped this," instead of, you know, running to the Argo II to escape the pursuing Romans. Or like when they ran into Chrysaor and the pirate beat Other Percy so handily because he was 'rusty', that he was disarmed _twice_ and forced to lie that Dionysus was on board with them, whom Chrysaor, for some reason, feared.

But as much as it made Percy mad that everyone was getting along and there were so few consequences, he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him a little bit jealous. He wished so badly that he could be happy like Other Percy was, but he was also infuriated at Other Percy for being like that. Maybe it was an extension of his jealousy. And the more he thought about it, the more he felt it related to how Percy had treated Jason. Maybe Percy was jealous, that this Roman was so driven and determined, that he so readily accepted his role and even aimed to rise above it. Gods, but Percy handled him all wrong. And yet…he never lied to the kid. Never. Percy didn't know how to feel about that _and_ that he felt he was wrong at the same time.

Thankfully, more stupid shit happened in this timeline, distracting him. Jumping all around for some reason, Percy saw him and Annabeth share an underwater kiss, before jumping immediately to Rome. They had decided to get pizza before he sent her off to her death at the hands of that spider monster. The two looked sullen, and Percy knew they were only doing this reluctantly.

"Then why are you doing this?" Percy demanded of them. "By the gods, just go _with_ her! What's stopping you? Idiot!" he yelled, frustrated beyond belief.

"You'll have to let me search for the Athena Parthenos on my own," Annabeth said, after going on a short speech about how Other Percy couldn't expect to carry the whole quest on his shoulders, to which Percy thought, " _You don't know a damn thing about what you're talking about,_ " despite himself. Somehow, he felt okay about thinking that about something Other Annabeth said, because it hadn't been _his_ Annabeth, just like when Annabeth had yelled about not needing him in Tartarus. She still wasn't _his_ Annabeth. And she knew that, and he knew that. So they'd protect each other until she became _his_ Annabeth again, like they both wanted.

Other Percy was obviously not thrilled about Annabeth saying that. "I missed you," he confessed. "For months. A huge chunk of our lives was taken away. If I lost you again-" the boy's voice caught in his throat.

"All I hear is damn words! Act on it, you little prick!" Percy snapped.

"You'll have to trust me," Other Annabeth said, voice soft and unsure. "You've got to believe I'll come back."

"I believe in _you_ ; that's not the problem. But come back from _where_?"

And before they could speak any more, they were interrupted by two gods, which adds another reason as to why Percy couldn't really stand them and their attitude. Honestly, he should feel grateful; the gods in this timeline were _way_ worse than in his own, when it comes to messing with demigods without their permission.

In another few minutes, with hardly a squeak of protestation, Other Percy was watching his Annabeth ride off alone. "Idiot…idiot, idiot, idiot!" he tried to grab Other Percy's shoulders, to no avail. He tried to punch Other Percy, to no avail. "Go after her! What the hell is wrong with you?! She's everything to you! Go after her!"

Instead, Other Percy walked back to the Argo II to face the Giants waiting for him.

Percy clenched his fists, enraged at this timeline. He didn't like it at all. Forget compassion and forget the friendship of these assholes; they didn't understand what true suffering was. He saw everything that happened to them, everything that was done to them, and none of it held a candle to what he's lost. Other Percy still had a mother and he still had Tyson. Luke was never a friend; he was _always_ an enemy to Other Percy, except at the very end; there wasn't any turmoil. Other Percy didn't have a child to worry about, his feelings were predicated on a four month relationship. It was pathetic to think he was a warrior, let alone a hero.

Percy let out a yell, wishing for the dream to end. But the Fates wanted him to see one more thing. One more thing which would send him into despair.

All the Giants had been defeated, the Seven were in Athens from the battle, but Gaea, as spelled in their timeline, had risen, and was attacking Camp Half-Blood…for some reason. Leo realized that one of them had to fall along with "the world" as told in the prophecy, and chooses to be the unlucky egg. Zeus agrees to send him and the Argo II back to Camp Half-Blood to stop it, and the Seven bid their farewell to Leo.

"No…" Percy muttered, his clenched so hard as to draw blood. "No, no, no! what are you all doing?!"

"You were all the best friends I could've asked for," the impish boy said, as the others cried and said nothing.

"Do something!" Percy demanded. "Say something and stop him! He doesn't have to die! He doesn't deserve it!"

"But now…I've got to go keep my promise."

"Fuck your oath to keep on a final breath! You should live! I don't care what happened between you or anyone around you! Goddamit I'll make sure you live and keep on living!" he yelled into the Other Leo's face.

With some final goodbyes, despite Percy doing everything in his power to prevent it, Leo closed the doors and bid his friends goodbye. He perished in the battle, and then Percy awoke.

xxxXXXxxx

He shot up in the bed, and that was the first thing that was wrong. Bed? What bed could there possibly be in Tartarus? Well, how about the one in the shockingly cozy log cabin that he was in, though it smelled nothing like a log cabin, and more like a Cyclops' foot. Still, better than the absolute rancid, unbreathable air outside.

Annabeth was next to him, both under some basic form of sheet. She awoke when he did, startled by his movement. "Mm…" she muttered something indiscernible.

"Where are we?" Percy demanded, still on edge from the dream. When she didn't answer, having fallen back asleep, he shook her. "Annabeth, where are we?"

She turned over like they were still in _their_ cabin, and rubbed her eyes lazily. "Huh?"

Percy sighed. He didn't know what he was expecting; she was always like this when she woke up, 'this' being 'not even there for a good ten minutes'. So instead, Percy stood, feeling himself. When last he was conscious, he was under the most intense pain he'd ever experienced; probably on par with bathing in the River Styx. Most of his body was bandaged, and Percy guessed he sustained more damage than he thought; he was too caught up in the pain he felt that he didn't notice any cuts form.

That said, they seemed to be healed, and all he felt from the experience with the arai was a vague soreness and fatigue. That and a headache, but that was probably from when Annabeth knocked him out.

He looked around the cabin, seeing all sorts of weird stuff. It was like they took a modern log cabin, Radagast's home from The Hobbit movies, and a hospital and smashed them all together, creating this weird complex of potions and healing herbs and…ski retreat vibes.

After checking every nook and cranny, and looking outside to see they were in a forest of some kind, Percy returned to the bed to see Annabeth sitting up, hair disheveled. "Did you say something?" she wondered, eyes still closed.

"Yeah, about five minutes ago," he sat back down beside her, signaling for her to lean into him. Gods, but she was beautiful. "Where are we?"

"I found a cabin in the woods. The monsters don't like the woods, I guess," she explained as she yawned and stood. She retrieved a bottle and a paper. "Here, drink a bit; it's nectar. It heals things."

"I know what nectar is," he claimed, before taking the items. The paper held a short note. It read: "If you're reading this, then I, Damasen, am dead, either for good or temporarily. This cabin is yours to use, whoever you are, doing whatever you're doing. This has healing medicine, warmth, and relative comfort. I wish you well."

"Weird, huh?" Annabeth said.

"Yeah, I'll say," Percy agreed. "We should get moving," he said, to which she let out a groan, burying her face in his chest. "Annabeth. We can't stay here."

"…A few hours?" she begged. "What's the harm?"

"There's a _lot_ of harm," he claimed. "…If I hear one thing wrong out there…fine, we'll stay."

With that, the daughter of Athena plopped back down onto the pillow, and Percy followed her. As much as he wanted to be all business and get out of Tartarus as soon as possible, he couldn't help but agree that they needed the rest. This was going to be their only true reprieve for a good while, especially if things weren't going absolutely perfectly up in the mortal world. Besides; they'd both been awake, active, and fighting for their lives for what must've been over sixty hours beforehand, and he figured Annabeth had only slept a few after that, after having set up Percy. And his wasn't truly sleep, more like visions.

Speaking of visions, however…

"Did you get any more of your memories back?" he asked off-handedly.

"Mm, not that I can remember," she muttered, smiling, now awake and wanted to be close to him.

"Very funny," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "…I had a dream," he said, being careful with how he phrased it.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. In it, _I_ was the one sent to Camp Jupiter."

"Really? Did you replace me with Reyna?"

"No…at least, I don't think so. It was weird, but at least I didn't blow up the whole world, right?"

"That's something," she offered. Percy was thankful that she didn't guess that Other Percy was completely different from Percy. Instead, she asked a harder question. "Hey…does it bother you that I don't have my memories?"

Percy considered the question. "No matter how I answer, you're gonna get mad," he guessed.

"Probably," she smirked, closing her eyes and waiting for his answer.

"…Yeah, it does. It bothers me a lot. It's like I'm cheating on you with another girl, even though you have the same body and face and eyes and hair…it's just…"

"Not the same?" she guessed.

"…Yeah."

"Mm…I guess I can understand that," she said. "It's been so weird, ever since I saw you. I really, really wanted to spend time with you, but…things happened and it was all so weird…Tempus and her book didn't help, with it brainwashing me into thinking I had to do everything myself…"

"I don't…I don't think that was Tempus. You've always been…independent, to a fault."

"Have I?"

Yeah. We both were, and sometimes it was like you did it just to get on my nerves," he said. She was quiet, waiting for elaboration. "Like the second summer I was at camp, this girl, Clarisse, was chosen for a quest to get the Golden Fleece to save camp, right? Well, I didn't think she was up to it, so I decided to go off on my own."

"Glory-hog," she teased, to which they both chuckled.

"Heh, yeah, maybe that had something to do with it. Anyway, it ended up that I wasn't alone. I had you hitch a ride without my knowing, and a baby Cyclops tag along. And before you say it, you two were friends."

"Hard to believe."

"Yeah, it was then too. Anyway, you completely went against what I wanted and wouldn't leave and even threatened me, just so you could go on this quest."

"With you," she clarified.

"At that point, uh…we weren't together."

"Oh…so it wasn't like a 'you need to stay behind so I can protect you' kinda thing?"

"No."

"Oh, okay…so, what happened then?"

"Well, we ran into some assholes. Luke had turned evil and taunted us and showed us how much of a badass he was like, 'ooh I can beat a Cyclops by myself, I'm _so_ strong!' and shit like that."

"Sounds like you were jealous," Annabeth smirked, to which Percy shrugged.

"Yeah, whatever. And then we saw a Hydra and you started doing your thinking shtick."

"You mean staying alive?"

"Yeah, that, while _I_ was going to town on this thing. And then Clarisse comes and steals my thunder!" he exclaimed, to which she laughed. He continued recounting the tale, about how he first learned he could make new water, how both of them were blasted into the Sea of Monsters (he also had to explain what the Sea of Monsters was since she forgot), and when they met the Sirens, and Percy saw the vision of everything he'd wanted.

"What did I see?"

"Hm?"

"A vision from the Sirens. You saw one; what'd I see?" she asked.

"You stuffed your ears with wax, so you didn't see one," he explained.

"Oh…"

"And then…and then we got to Circe's Resort."

"Circe, as in the witch Circe?"

"Yeah. Long story short, you saved my ass, and we freed some pirates."

"That's when we met Reyna and Hylla," Annabeth recalled. "She told me about that, briefly. So, what about long story long?"

"Well…" he recalled the event. "It started with us both being ushered in by someone; I can't remember who exactly. But then you were taken to get your makeup done."

"And I allowed it?"

"We were both really tired," was his excuse. "Anyway, Circe sat me down and started singing sweet nothings into my ears. She showed me images in a mirror," he said, surprised that he remembered the detail, and also a bit depressed. "It showed…it showed me, like I am now at eighteen, only…better. Happy, courageous, heroic…" he listed off the adjectives like they were his dreams escaping him. " _Just like Other Percy had been,_ " he thought bitterly. "A-anyway, then she turned me into a guinea pig, and you rescued me, turning me and a bunch of pirates back to being human again."

"Cool, so _I'm_ the hero of this story."

"Yeah, in…way more ways than one," he said, interlacing his fingers with hers. "Annabeth…I couldn't live without you."

"…Why not?" she wondered.

"Because…because I love you."

"I want a more specific answer than that."

"I don't have one," he said, kissing her. "I'm sorry."

Still unsure, Annabeth forced a smile. "It's okay…"

Percy wasn't finished, though. "It's just…everyone expects me to be the hero, you know? But…part of me doesn't really care anymore, about anyone. No one except you matters, you know?"

"Well, you _did_ win the Titan War, right?"

"Exactly. But then…if I don't get stronger, if I don't protect them, then…what am I supposed to do? Just give up? Just let them fend for themselves? What if I can stop people from getting hurt? What if I…" he took a deep breath, about to go morbid. "What if I were put into a situation where I had to choose between saving you and saving the camps, or the Seven?"

"You…you said….you said it wouldn't be a hard choice," Annabeth recalled them having a similar conversation earlier. "That you'd choose me. Were you lying?"

"No, I wasn't lying, I just…I don't think…I don't know. Annabeth, I don't know," he sat up. "I just…I get these worst-case-scenario thoughts in my head and it keeps getting worse and worse until I'm six feet under my own…stupid depression and anxiety! I can't choose you, Annabeth, not while that choice leaves everyone else unprotected like it is!"

"Percy…you can't expect to be able to carry the world on your shoulders."

That set him off; that was exactly what Other Annabeth had said. "You don't know a damn thing about what you're talking about!" he snapped, making her recoil. Percy took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself. It didn't work. So instead of facing it, Percy buried his face into his hands and cried. Annabeth sat up with him, wrapped her arms around him, and held him until he held her back.

"…It's okay…Percy, it's okay to feel like this sometimes…"

"…I should be better."

"And I say you don't have to be, and you're supposed to blindly do what I say," she reminded him.

"I…" he was going to say he never agreed to that, but instead, all he said was, "okay," before they both laid back down to rest.

Somehow, Percy knew that he'd have to face these thoughts again very soon.

xxxXXXxxx

In a few hours, when they both felt somewhat well-rested, they stood, gathered a few supplies which both of them knew Tartarus would somehow make them lose before they could be useful, before they set off. At first, they tried to find their way back to the River Phlegethon, but as they wandered in the forest of shadows, the less likely seeing the River seemed to become. Instead, it felt like they were being led somewhere, and that somewhere turned out to be a mansion.

A mansion made out of the night sky.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So how about that massive shade I threw at the original series, huh? For those that couldn't pick up on it, this other timeline was of the actual canon, call me a meta-whore on _that_ creative decision.**

 **That said, a few things; I haven't read _The Blood of Olympus_ in its entirety, but from what I understand, everyone goes back to fight Gaea with Leo, or at least he doesn't go alone. But I needed a striking finale to the dream, and everyone watching as he closes the door is as good as any. For an image, go look up viria's "How Far We've Come" slideshow; it's there at the end of the bridge of the song.**

 **Anyway, I forgot how much I like this chapter. I still think I like chapter 54 a bit more (call me a sucker for weird-ass ships), but this one probably has my favorite conversation so far, with Percy talking with Annabeth in the cabin at the end. I like how it ends strangely and kind of abruptly too, like even the characters know that there's more to be said, but for now, they decided to drop it because they themselves didn't understand their feelings. I don't know, something about it felt...genuine, to me anyway. That might just be my ego talking lol**

 **In any case, to give a small timeline until chapter 58, tomorrow is the big moment for Reyna/Winona, the next is coming back to Tartarus for a big moment with these guys, and chapter 58 is a big moment for the Argo II crew, or at least Jason. So get hype!**

 **Anyway, with that, I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	56. We've Got Two

Reyna sensed that something was amiss long before the enemy arrived. She was laid up in her bed, listening to the soft pattering of rain when she heard the crack of branches. If the past six days were used as a metric, this would have been normal, but she'd told everyone to go to sleep or patrol the edge of camp i.e. nowhere near her tent. Before the intruder arrived, friend or foe, Reyna grabbed her blade and slid it under her sheets, ready to use at a moment's notice.

The footsteps grew quieter as they entered, probably more aware that they needed to be silent, the fact that they didn't speak before entering being indication that they weren't Roman. When they got close enough, Reyna shot up, blade ready and held to a blond girl's neck within a fraction of a second; it was Winona, the apathetic one who'd 'graciously' escorted them to their camp before.

The girl's hands were in sight, held up in surrender, and Reyna couldn't help but smirk at this aloof girl finally caring. "You're not the first blond girl to try and sneak up on me, lass. And you aren't nearly as quiet as Annabeth was."

The girl who Reyna recalled was Winona didn't seem as amused. "Just…calm down. I'm not here to fight," she claimed. Reyna shifted her vision, using her gifted power, seeing a calm aura. It seemed soothing, non-hostile. Reyna might even call it friendly. And yet, she held her blade where it was.

"Somehow, I'm having a hard time believing you," Reyna returned.

"I _promise_ you that I don't want to fight," she said, though that only made the Roman press her sword's edge further into the girl's skin, cutting it slightly. "Hey, you see my hands, I can't fight back; just let me say a few things. Then you can do whatever you want with me."

"…Aye. Speak, and do it quickly."

Winona took as deep a breath as she dared. "Listen, I know that Lady Bellona didn't kill Grover, and I know why Luke was there," she said.

"Wonderful; you go tell your friends and let us-"

"I already did, and they don't believe me. Honestly, I'm not sure whether I should believe it either; it all seems so convenient. But I have a good source of information, and that's what they told me," she explained, before biting her lip and considering her next words. "…I have to at least believe that you're competent, to where you know that just having this information won't change much."

"Aye; our camps are at war; nothing will change that now, so long as this grudge persists," Reyna acknowledged. "So then I have to ask, lass, about why you're here?"

"Because I figure there's not much to lose by trying to do something. I don't want to fight you, never did."

"Preaching to the choir."

"Then how about we stop fighting? At least the two of us; we could work something out. We could…fix things, right?" Reyna raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced that this girl was showing something akin to compassion. "You and I both want the same thing. I'm not your enemy, Reyna."

The daughter of Bellona removed her blade and sheathed it. "I know you're not, lass. I knew the minute you walked in here that you meant no harm," she said softly.

"…How?"

"Call it a hunch," Reyna said vaguely. "Now, if I'm to trust you in this, I want to know why you came here. It certainly wasn't to save your camp, not entirely."

Winona turned away. "…My friend, she…we got into an argument. I want to make it up to her, and she was _really_ pushing for the camps to make peace somehow, so…" her cheeks turned rosy as she spoke, and the Roman had to smirk again.

"Ah, don't I know the struggle of meeting a partner's expectations…" Reyna grimaced, making Winona blush even harder at her guessing the nature of her relationship. "Alright. If we're to do this, then let's be on with it."

"Do you have a plan?" Winona asked.

"No, but we'll make one."

"Okay…"

"Plan A: you convince your friends to stop blocking us from returning to our camp."

"Not possible; they would suspect something was up, no matter how I phrased it," Winona said. "Plus, we want to stop the war, not postpone it."

"Okay, Plan B…you become leverage," Reyna proposed. "We use you as a bargaining chip to negotiate peace."

"I don't think that would work."

"Why not?"

"Because I still don't trust you, not half as far as I can throw you," Winona said it bluntly.

"Agreed; same to you, lass," Reyna said. "If Jason were here, he'd say _one_ of us would have to extend trust to the other. But he's not, so I say we keep thinking until there isn't as much of a compromise."

"Alright," Winona conceded.

"Okay…I'm guessing your 'source' that you mentioned is also that friend? And I'm guessing she is over with Jason and the others in the Ancient Lands?" Winona nodded. "Well, are they coming back?"

"…No," Winona said, sounding as disheartened as Reyna had ever heard her. "To tell you the truth…I don't even understand why they went…"

"It was to get a powerful artifact," Reyna said. "It was decided when they arrived in Camp Jupiter; supposedly this artifact has the ability to mend the rift between Greeks and Romans, like I said at your camp."

"Everyone assumed you were lying…Well…Bianca did mention something called the Athena Parthenos, but is that even possible?" Winona asked. "I've never heard of magical items having such a powerful effect."

"Maybe not Greek items, but it's not so uncommon for a Roman; all of our quests are to retrieve some kind of powerful lost widget," she explained. "Where were they? Do you know if they retrieved the artifact?"

"Yeah, they did, but they're not coming back right now; Bianca said they're going to Epirus for some reason. I don't know _what_ they're doing that's so important…"

"Well…seems to me like we have a couple options. First, we stay and try and cool down the situation. I think you'll agree that it's not likely to happen; if there wasn't this…innate distrust, then perhaps. As it stands, no one but us really wants to stop fighting."

"Right…what's the other option?"

"Well, if we hurry, we might be able to get there and back with the artifact before this whole thing goes down, the attacks on each other I mean."

Winona crossed her arms. "It's…possible…" she tried thinking through it. "Okay, if we leave like right now, we might be able to, but I don't know how well my chariot will work outside of the US; I've never tried it, but-"

"Wait, hold on: chariot?"

"I have a chariot that's technically the sun, the one you saw before," she explained. "It can go really fast, to say the least. Failing that, I might be able to sneak out some Pegasi for us."

"I've a steed of my own, thank you," Reyna said.

"Whatever, then you've got to think of a way to sneak out with me."

"Truthfully, I don't even know how you snuck in; you were like a bulldozer," she mocked. "And yes, I have an idea or two. Wait here," she said, popping her head out of her tent. Seeing no one, she moved back in. "I know you don't wish to compromise, lass, but I'll be back in just a tick."

Before Winona could argue, Reyna ducked out, quickly going to Octavian's tent, dragging his ass up, and taking him back. Even if he was sleepy when she was dragging him across camp, he instantly woke up upon seeing a Greek. "What is _she_ doing here?!" he demanded, reaching for the knife he kept on him.

"Calm down, lad," Reyna said quietly, trying to ease his conscious. "She comes in peace. I need to explain a few things to you, because I'm leaving for a while."

"Leaving? Where? Why?" he questioned. Reyna quickly explained the situation. "So…Reyna, I don't understand; how can you trust this Fallen?"

"Because our interests align," she returned. "And I didn't come here for your counsel; my mind's made up. But while I'm gone, I'm putting you in charge again."

"B-but Reyna-"

"That's what you wanted, right?"

"Yes, but that was in peacetime! We're in the middle of a war, and you're our primary tactician!" he argued. "If you go, what will we do?"

"We've a plan already, do we not?" she said, trying to remain calm in the face of abandoning her Legion. Octavian nodded reluctantly. "…Listen…do you _really_ want to destroy the Greeks?"

"I…I wouldn't be opposed."

"That's not an answer. Do _you_ want to kill them?"

"I…no…it's a waste of time, if they would only leave us alone…"

"Exactly! We want to end this, peacefully if possible. What we're doing, what I'm doing, is to that end, you understand? I hope you are willing to work toward that as well."

"I…I want to, but…I don't know how."

"You can figure it out," Reyna assured. "I know you can handle this; this is what you've been preparing for, for gods know how long."

With another bit a hesitation, Octavian finally nodded in agreement. "I'll…return to my tent; get ready for tomorrow, then," he said, exiting. Winona clapped a bit.

"Good show," she said. "Now, about this plan?"

Taking a deep breath, Reyna drew a small knife and handed it to the blonde girl. "Take this, because we don't trust each other and in case you want out. I'm going to treat you as my prisoner, say you're too dangerous and that I'm to execute you, and we leave alone like that."

Winona nodded, seeming surprisingly up to the idea, perhaps to the point of oddity. "Sounds good; tie me up, gag me, I don't care. Gods know it's been done to me a thousand times."

"Uh…" Reyna didn't know how to respond to that.

"Bianca is into this stuff," Winona shrugged as Reyna cut off some of her sheets to use as bindings. When she said that, Reyna couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, fidgeting a bit and probably blushing. Winona noticed this. "Oh look, you _are_ human!" she teased.

"Aye, well, most people aren't as open about that," she said, trying to block out the images of promiscuity that Winona was implanting in her head. Reyna figured, if she were asked the same, she'd be at least a little hesitant. Still, she bound the girl's hands behind her back, and then cut another bit off to use as a gag.

"Wait," Winona said before it was tied in. "I want you to know that if you try anything, I can and will lay down a thousand arrows onto you, without hesitation."

"You've no worries, lass," Reyna assured, before tying in the gag and pushing the girl forward. Thankfully, it was convincing. No one really questioned Reyna, not that they would normally, about what she was doing. And Winona gave fierce enough glares to warrant their belief that she was dangerous. They got off without a hitch. Winona mumbled a bit, signifying that she wanted to be let out. "Not yet; I've no clue whether this is trap yet," she said, figuring that even though Winona was on her side that didn't mean she wasn't followed by those that weren't, and though Winona let out a kind of sigh, she didn't seem too torn up about staying in this position a little while longer. Reyna smirked. "Though, judging from your threat before, that you haven't cut through yourself yet, and that you don't seem all too opposed, I'd say you're more than capable as you are anyway."

Winona grumbled a bit more as they proceeded further through the park, getting soaked by the rain. Thankfully, due to the Mist, they could walk around unnoticed; the park closed an hour ago and they technically weren't allowed there.

Reyna stopped after getting close to the edge of the park. "What do you think, lass, want to stay like this a bit longer?" she teased, to which Winona shot her a glare. Reyna chuckled, untying the girl.

"You don't have any room to kink-shame, Ms. I-haven't-even-made-it-that-far-yet."

"It's called taking our time."

"Yeah, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Can we get back on task, lass?" Reyna questioned, to which Winona chuckled. With a wave of her hand, a brilliant golden light appeared in the sky, before a shining golden chariot appeared, pulled by horses of fire, just as Reyna saw her descend on before.

"Off to Epirus, right?" Winona said, climbing aboard and taking the reins. Reyna hesitated. "Well?"

"I just…I'd feel a _lot_ more comfortable on my-"

"Just get on!" Winona insisted. "Or I'm going without you!"

"Fine, fine!" Reyna conceded, climbing aboard and holding on for dear life. Almost immediately she felt the urge to hurl, as they went from zero to twenty in a fraction of second. Landscapes zipped by at Mach fuck-you-Reyna, so much so that she couldn't even register them fast enough to get an feel for the areas they passed; they were just flashes in her vision, like an odd fever dream one has when they long for adventure.

All this explanation for this event of the chariot, when it only lasted a few seconds, six at the maximum, before they were blown out of the sky. Winona looked troubled for a brief moment before whirling back to tell Reyna something, but no sound escaped her lips before they burst into a golden fireball.

They were attacked from behind, an impossible task as far as Reyna was concerned, given how fast they were going. Nonetheless, the impact that destroyed the chariot also knocked Reyna forward into the driver, sending them careening through the air. Reyna saw more images flash by without much meaning until she found something solid, her hand grasped Winona's, and, by some miracle, she heard the younger girl yell, "Hold on!" As if she had much of a choice.

Reyna used her other hand to draw Tabula Rasa, and after she adjusted her vision a bit, found that they were falling somewhat perpendicular to a cliff face, or otherwise sharp drop-off. In an act of instinct, Reyna shoved her blade into the wall they fell beside and a shock went through her arm from the lurching feeling. She carved into the wall until they slowed to a stop. The two hung there for a minute, both silently wondering how things escalated so quickly. "What hit us?" Reyna questioned.

"Something strong," Winona said, forming a golden light in her hand which formed into a golden bow. "Help me swing, I can make it over…uh oh…" she stopped shirt. Reyna looked out, and saw a mass of small shadows approaching them. It didn't take a genius to figure out that someone fired an entire volley of arrows at them. "Swing me now!" Winona cried out as she kicked. Reyna complied, but instead of swinging away, Winona used the momentum to flip, forcing Reyna to catch her by the ankle, so she could fire her own massive volley of arrows. At least, that's what Reyna was expecting. Instead, she let go like she were firing one, but a barrier of sunlight formed in front of them instead, blocking the volley.

That didn't help against the Giant that attacked next, though. Straight through Winona's barrier, the figure collided with the two demigods, smashing them face-first into the cliff face before throwing them down to the ground. They both tumbled in craters a bit before coming to a stop. "Oh…I'm gonna feel that in the morning…" Winona groaned.

"I don't suppose…this is the trap you set for me?" Reyna wheezed, struggling to stand herself.

"No…and…Bianca didn't think to tell me about the psycho Giant guarding the eastern sea board…"

"Does she tell you anything important?" Reyna questioned.

"Not usually…" Winona said, both standing and noticing an army quickly surrounding them. The Giant in question approached through the crowd, a grin on his face.

"Ladies," he addressed them, making Reyna freeze. While he stood comparably to a taller ma, his soul was several times larger in both density and size. In the moment, it was difficult to tell which was worse; this man, or Pride. After the fact, it was definitely Pride. "I see you've stumbled into the wrong neighborhood; allow me to escort to…my humble abode for questioning."

"You must be Lust," Winona said. "I don't suppose you-" she was cut off as Reyna's hand clasped hard onto hers. It took only a brief look to realize that she was desperately resisting the urge to lose it, and her eyes portrayed something akin to pleading, like she needed Winona. And the daughter of Apollo would be lying if she said she hadn't seen that look before. the most recent time she could remember was when Bianca pleaded with her, to help her on her first tour of Camp Half-Blood. She'd used the look many times before that too, and not one could Winona resist it; now was no exception.

"You didn't really think I would let you leave without participating in your little camp excursions, did you?" Lust's taunts brought her back to reality.

"Yeah well, it would've been nice to know that you were even here. You should work on your presence," Winona returned, looking around for an opening.

"Don't think of escape; you're completely surrounded, and you-"

Winona's body emitted a blinding light before he finished. She didn't know exactly how his powers worked, but she figured blinding him would be the best solution. She just had to hope and pray that she hadn't done the same to Reyna. This hope was realized soon when she tugged on Winona's arm to run.

Reyna was faced away from the girl, away from the light. This allowed her to carve them a path, one that led far away from that monster. Gods, she truly hadn't come far, had she? To have frozen so easily…

Once they broke through the initial wall of undead soldiers, the pack thinned considerably, allowing fairly easy escape. "We need to go back," Reyna said instinctually.

"Not an option," Winona said, letting loose a volley of sunlight arrows behind her; the same ones she'd used to mortally wound her comrades. Reyna forced the thought down.

"Well, we can't _fight_ that thing! Couldn't you feel how powerful it was?" she exclaimed, and as if on cue, he attacked.

"You won't get away that easily!" he yelled, eyes wild, eyes that had a lot to prove. Because of this, he approached sloppily, allowing Winona to swat him away with her bow, sending him tumbling across the ground. The hit was perhaps more impactful for Reyna; this presence wasn't invincible. They could overcome it, at least stand up to it for a time. At least some part of her brain realized this, as she whistled and readied herself.

"Scipio is on her way," Reyna announced.

"We just need to get past this thing, then." Winona said, seeing that Lust had recovered from his derailment. Instead of attacking wildly again, he waved his hand, and a fresh army of soldiers surrounded them, tripling the number that first approached the two demigods. "And…these things…"

"Oh gods, we're doomed," she said, though she immediately felt better upon being put up against an army rather than a one-man-army. An odd feeling to be sure, but she felt it nonetheless.

"Relax; you've basically got a goddess on your side," Winona shrugged. Reyna was about to question why Greeks always had to make some witty remark in the face of danger, but Lust wasn't waiting for that.

"Attack!" he ordered, signaling for his army to do their job. "Main them! Butcher them! They were fools for assuming they could withstand my power! They will see their-" he was cut off as a giant, fifty-foot long sword plunged down onto him from the heavens. The impact of the giant blade shook the ground around them, making everyone, undead and demigod alike, stumble to the ground.

Reyna looked up to the hilt, seeing a figure. Reyna didn't have a good line of vision of them; they could've been fifteen feet tall, or six; it was difficult to tell. However, Reyna saw them, or rather her, lift the blade from the ground and carve it across the earth, decimating Lust's army. "Not so, lass," Reyna said, pointing to the hilt. "We've got two."

Lust himself seemed unharmed. "Quite a flashy entrance, Bellona," he said as the goddess shrunk down to a more reasonable size, that is, human size. "But ultimately ineffectual."

She gave him a hard glare and pointed her still-massive blade at him, hefting it easily in one hand. "My name is stained forever because of your game," she said.

"It won't be the only stain that's spilled because of us," Lust claimed, readying himself.

"Mother!" Reyna called, running forward only to be blasted back to Winona by the goddess.

"This is not your fight, child," Bellona said. "Go."

As if on cue, Scipio appeared in the sky, diving through the storm. At the same time, Lust summoned more archers and has them fire on the Pegasus as well as ordering his army to continue pressing the assault, while also engaging Bellona. In a flash, things went from zero to twenty again. Reyna was busy carving through enemies, Bellona had cut off Lust from getting to them, and Winona let loose her own volley of arrows to destroy the enemy's. Scipio weaved through the soldiers, barreling into many of them to get to the demigods, and when she did, they were on her so fast that she didn't even stop.

"We need to go, now!" Winona called over the chaos, beating back a dozen undead swordsman. Reyna took a look back at Bellona's losing battle, before kicking and willing Scipio back up. Winona was able to block any more arrows, and within a few minutes, they were over Open Ocean.

Bellona retreated soon after they left, knowing that she'd done her part.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Writing this note at 10:20 PM the night before this gets posted lol**

 **So I know I said this chapter was bonkers, but I was mostly referring to the ending. We get a Greek/Roman team up, a Roman goddess in action, and a narrow escape on what appears to be a suicide mission. Good stuff imo.**

 **In any case, one little comment, and then some logistical stuff.**

 **The comment: gods, but I am going hard on the sexual references and promiscuous scenes in House of Hades, aren't I? We got chapter 54 which was all about (on the surface anyway) Piper and Luke being horny as fuck and Cupid using that to get a deadly secret from her. Now this with the light bondage shit from Winona...what has my writing become? lol I don't actually care.**

 **As an aside, I generally don't care about what relatively superfluous content I attach to my characters, so long as it doesn't ruin the character itself, hence why I make a reference to kink with Bianca and Winona's relationship. If anything, I think it adds flavor to their pairing.**

 **On the other foot, I wouldn't make Percy and Annabeth do some hardcore BDSM shit, because their relationship, symbolically and in this story at least, is portrayed as, for all intents and purposes, perfect, and perfectly vanilla to boot. They have an unconditional love for each other, have bee shown to be willing to sacrifice their lives for the other and know each other's flaws and insecurities and personal hang-ups, even if they may not know how to solve them. It wouldn't really fit with their dynamic to introduce some weird thing they do in bed randomly.**

 **Anyway, if the topic interests you, PM me, though I doubt it will interest many people.**

 **But now onto logistics; I need to give an update.**

 **Unfortunately, I'll need that break after chapter 58. I've got up to chapter 60 written, and am outlining the finale which comes directly after. With any luck, it'll be done by the end of the month (I was actually hoping to have the whole thing done by the end of the month but, heh, _that's_ not happening lol), though that still doesn't mean I'll be posting right away.**

 **I get my wisdom teeth taken out on the 28th, so the earliest I'll likely post is...sometime at the beginning of next month. Yay...not yay...**

 **Overly long AN aside, thanks for reading, go ahead and leave a review, and I'll see you tomorrow!**


	57. As One Hero Falls

"I've got a bad feeling about this," were Percy's first words upon entering the mansion.

"Why? It seems just about as welcoming as everything else in Tartarus," Annabeth claimed, opting for some light humor to help her not freak the fuck out.

"Well, even on Earth, everything wants to kill me, so I wouldn't feel comfortable if this place was in New York either."

"Just…just stay close to me, alright?"

"That's my line," he reminded her, hands locking together as they ventured deeper inside. The halls looked…eerie, if one had to describe them. Ornate Greek architecture, filled with marble pillars and the like, though twisted in a way. Vines and thickets of shadows encroached on the design, making it seem as if the shadow forest had invaded into this building without permission. Perhaps it'd belonged to a powerful force in Tartarus, only to be taken over by any number of hordes of monsters roaming about. Percy was half-expecting Iapetus to pop out and attack them, but something told him that the Titan wasn't near. Call it a sixth-sense, from how much he's had to deal with the bastards.

After going through some surprisingly open and sound-resonating halls, the two made it to an grand foyer, coming out the side to see an exit, which of course was locked from the outside (figure that one out), and a massive set of stairs leading up. Percy and Annabeth exchanged a glance.

"What do you think?" Percy asked.

"Me? Um…do we even know what this place is?"

"Not a clue, but we're not getting out through here. Should we go back, find another way through the forest, do you think?"

"I think…I think I'd rather face whatever's in here," she said finally. "That forest gives me the creeps, and who knows how many monsters are waiting for us right at its edge."

Percy nodded, and led the way upstairs. From there, they had three paths; forward, left, and right. To the right was a dark hallway, to the left was one that was lit. Going forward, it appeared like a really steep drop-off.

"I'm getting Athena Parthenos Trial flashbacks," Annabeth mentioned.

"Yeah, this is a bit too much like the Labyrinth for my tastes."

"Not to your liking?" a disembodied voice came on as if through loudspeaker. Female, sounding very old in the sense that it had the confidence of an aged individual, the voice immediately put the two on edge. "Perhaps this would be better?"

Before their eyes, the same night sky that seemed to make up the exterior of the mansion swallowed up the forward and left paths, leaving the one in darkness. Giving each other a reassuring glance, Percy and Annabeth ventured once more unto the breach.

They didn't make it very far before whoever owned this mansion started messing with them. A loud crash came after several moments of deafening silence, making both of them jump. Percy summoned a weapon of water, but nothing attacked. "They're just trying to scare us," Annabeth surmised.

"Oh no; by the end of this, one of you will be broken," the voice came back. "I just enjoy my foreplay."

"My guess is a succubus," Percy muttered.

"Incorrect, Titan Slayer."

"Tch…" Percy led them onward. Quickly, he noticed the temperature drop, and pretty soon, both of them were shivering. "Gods…damn Jason, blowing off a whole sleeve…" Percy found himself rapidly rubbing his bare arm.

"At least you have a jacket…" Annabeth muttered through chattering teeth.

"Do you want it?"

"No."

"Then why did you…whatever…let's just get out of here…"

"Agreed."

"Silly demigods," the voice reappeared. "I told you I would break one of you. I haven't gotten the chance to do that yet."

"Then why don't you come down here and do it already?" Percy called out. "Who even are you?"

"Percy, maybe you shouldn't-"

"A mortal has no right to demand such things from an immortal!" the voice rose, piercing their eyes with its volume.

"If you know who I am, then you should know that I don't give much credit to immortals for anything."

"And it's that insolence which has given me my decision. _You_ will be broken, Titan Slayer," the voice changed as it spoke, from all around them like a loudspeaker, to right in front of them. Annabeth saw the distortion in the shadows first.

"Percy, look out!" she flung herself in the way of the oncoming attack, and was blasted away.

"Annabeth!" Percy dashed in the direction she was shot it, but no matter how far he ran, he couldn't find her. "Annabeth! Annabeth, where are you?!" he called, but she didn't answer. Was she unconscious? No, something like that wouldn't have done her in so easily.

Suddenly, the lights came on, and Percy found himself in a large circular room, seemingly made of starlight. Across from him was a woman, an immortal, who gave off a presence that Percy hadn't felt from god, Titan, or Giant. She was something else entirely. "What the hell…?"

"Surprised, mortal?"

"What the hell are you?"

"I suppose you could call me a god. But when the gods as you know them were born, when the Titans ruled, I was considered as ancient as they are now. I am simultaneous to Chaos, the body to his abstract, the female to his male, the thought to his ignorance. I am the mother of all, and you may call me…Nyx," she bowed extravagantly.

"You're a protogenos," Percy translated. "I thought they didn't usually manifest physical bodies; they're weaker when they do, aren't they?"

"Tartarus did so, did he not?"

"…A fair point, but he didn't have a presence, not like you," he claimed. "Explain that, 'oh ancient one'."

"Simple; his presence is felt all through Tartarus. Truly, your mortal mind is puny to have not noticed it, how you inwardly question whether you can ever escape?"

Percy frowned; he'd been _trying_ to ignore the feeling, for both his and Annabeth's sake. Instead of speaking further, Percy charged. He seemed to take Nyx off-guard with his assault, as she was quickly forced back. Almost immediately, Percy summoned a second blade, knowing he couldn't afford to hold back against an immortal.

Oddly, she seemed slower than some other immortals he'd faced, namely the Titans. Even people like Iapetus and Prometheus seemed more battle-focused than her, allowing him to quickly push past her unarmed defense and slash her torso several times. She cried out, and teleported away, disappearing, but not before some golden ichor dropped from her wounds and onto the floor.

Percy whirled around, expecting a back attack, but was disappointed. She seemed content to hide in the shadows. "So even the protogenoi run on ichor? Good to know," he mentioned.

"Insolent mortal!" a wave of darkness shot toward him, which he dove to avoid. "I will grant you a slow and painful death!"

"You know, it may be too early, but you're way weaker than people I've already beaten! Why don't you just let us through and I won't have to hurt you?"

"Oh, but you misunderstand. Nothing that occurs within my walls happens for an accident."

"Yeah, like you _planned_ for me to attack?"

"Indeed. I needed a blood sample," she said. As if on cue, the first drops of blood dripped from a cut to the cheek. Percy hadn't even noticed. Had she been too fast to see? Maybe she was stronger than he thought… He quickly wiped away the blood and healed the cut. He felt a power build up behind him, and made to defuse it, but it came too fast. It caught Percy's exposed arm, making him drop his blade and have it willed away in turn. Percy groaned, holding his arm from the hit; no physical damage, but it sure as hell hurt like a bitch. "Does that sting, Titan Slayer?" she mocked.

"Come down here and face me instead of hiding like a coward!" Percy roared, quickly becoming frustrated with the hit-and-run tactics she was using, given their effectiveness.

"If you insist…" she said. Percy pinpointed her location as she materialized in a shroud of darkness. He dashed forward, leapt up, swung down in a brutal slash.

"Let's see how far I've come," Percy heard in a voice that definitely wasn't Nyx's. In fact, it was his own. Percy landed the swing, with it being blocked by himself, only…younger. Percy's surroundings changed as if from the shockwave of their weapons clashing, back to the beach. Which beach? Santa Monica, from his very first quest to retrieve the Mast Bolt, where he'd dueled Ares.

The younger Percy, now referred to as Percy-before, forced Percy away, and then charged immediately like an idiot.

"What the hell?" Percy questioned as he handily blocked his younger self's assault. A part of him couldn't believe how weak he'd been. "What is this, some kinda vision? Now?"

Percy parried a sloppy swing from Percy-before, and kicked him away. Taking in his surroundings, he saw the event recreated perfectly, save for that he was taking Ares' place in the duel; Annabeth and Grover were watching with pensive stares, the backpack was there that held the Master Bolt. Everything was perfect. Except for one thing; Percy still _felt_ Nyx's presence. He could only surmise that she had created this illusion.

"You think this will give you a better chance?" he questioned as Percy-before attacked once again. "The kid doesn't know a damn thing!" he exclaimed as he handily blocked each and every one of his strikes, getting off attacks of his own at his leisure. Soon, he grew tired of the games, and made to lay down a killing blow. Right as he began to swing, however, Percy-before's image blurred. It blurred into someone else entirely; Sally Jackson.

"Percy!" she cried, as if all of the years hadn't passed, and he was back at Half-Blood Hill, seeing her butchered by the Minotaur. Percy's blade stopped in place, frozen from guilt. It was enough time for her image to blur back to Percy-before, and pick back up on the offensive. He forced Percy-before away again, now angry, and then charged, opting to finish it quickly.

"It's over!" he yelled, just as Percy-before blurred into a different position.

"I am the force that splits the sea!" he chanted, before leaping across an invisible gap and slashing with everything he had, catching Percy by surprise and sending him flying backwards. Just like before, with the clash of their weapons, the scene shifted, somehow perfectly allowing Percy to be shot into a pile of rocks. They were on an island with a mountain cave on onside, and a bridge spanning a large gap lay behind when Percy-before had landed.

"Damn it!" he growled, standing, only to see Percy-before charging for him again. So he was Polyphemus in this scenario, then? Percy recognized the surroundings, the chasm where Tyson fell to his death, and Annabeth and Clarisse standing dumbfounded at his stupidity across the way.

This time, Percy-before was, if not smarter in his approach, at least stronger. Using his water, Percy-before covered his bases quite well, making it somewhat difficult for Percy to get an attack in. In fact, Percy was shocked at how much power he was letting off at such an early stage in his training. Gods, but he'd been angry, and being reminded of that day only brought those feelings back. Slowly, at first, before Percy met Percy-before's rage with a helping of his own, forcing him back and defusing any attempt to use his water.

"Does this strike your fancy, Titan Slayer?" Nyx wondered, to which Percy tried to ignore her. In response, as Percy laid down blow after blow and went to rear his blade through Percy-before's abdomen, his image blurred again, this time, to Tyson.

"Brother!"

"Damn it!" Percy stopped, unable to bring himself to hurt the lovable Cyclops. Once again, Percy-before took advantage of this and came back full force. "Get a grip!" he yelled at Percy-before. "You have friends waiting for you; don't throw your life away to muck around in anger!" he blasted Percy-before away, straight through a nearby tree. "You failed to protect Tyson; just accept that and move on! You…gods, you have so much to look forward to, so many opportunities for friends and allies. Don't waste it here!"

"That's a mighty-fine glass house you've built. How many times must I pound against it to make it shatter beneath your feet?" Nyx questioned.

Percy-before stood like the idiot that he was, and readied his sword. He shot himself up using his water, and then shot himself back down. It was one of Percy's signature finishing moves; the one he'd used to beat Polyphemus the first time. But it wouldn't work.

The force he created was weak; the kid was already exhausted, as Percy knew he'd been at that point. Percy parried the blow, sending Percy-before tumbling across the muddied ground; Percy had only just now realized it was raining. He didn't feel its energizing effect since it was all fake. He had to remind himself that this was all fake. Taking a deep breath, Percy stepped toward Percy-before. He needed to end things before it got out of hand.

So of course that's the opposite of what happened.

"You're mine, Atlas!" Percy-before charged forward. This time, the scene changed gradually with each of his steps toward Percy. Percy's anger flared at the Titan's mention, despite himself.

Percy-before seemed to realize this, or perhaps it was a manifestation of Percy's memories, but with another step from Percy, his past self stopped in his tracks, just as Percy had done when Atlas took a single step toward him. Percy felt a range of emotions in that single moment; confusion was prominent, as he couldn't have possibly imagined him have nearly the same presence as Atlas had had then. Another thing was, of course, anger; how _dare_ anyone compare him to the ruthless Titan? Most prominently, though, was regret. Percy-before was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

Percy didn't want to see that happen from a different point-of-view. He walked toward Percy-before, and slammed his blade down onto him, hoping for a killing shot. Percy-before surprised him, however, by raising his shield to block the strike. Percy must've not realized how much power he'd put into the attack, as Percy-before crumpled to the ground, only his shield-arm raised to continue blocking. And seeing that shield again…Tyson's shield...

Percy completely lost himself. All of the guilt and rage he'd felt in both this encounter and the one in which Tyson died came back full-force. He rained down blows onto the shield, bashing it and bashing it until it was just a hunk of crumpled metal, and then he kicked Percy-before away.

Reluctantly, the façade dropped the shield, just like Percy had done. Seeing that, Percy regained himself. "Please, stop fighting!" he begged himself. "You don't have anything to prove! You've never had anything to prove, and you never will! Just get it out of your head that you do and you can be so much happier!"

Percy-before didn't heed his advice, attacking once again. He force Percy to retaliate, blasting Percy-before away and into a pool of water. There, Percy-before burst into action, two blades at the ready, but his form was sloppy. It had more raw power than one-handed, but Percy-before hadn't mastered the technique yet.

Percy easily blocked or dodged each strike as it came, now needing to be somewhat careful of taking hits directly, and instead opting to divert the momentum of the strikes to miss. Soon, he managed to blast Percy-before away again. "For Poseidon!" he yelled, before leaping up into the air. The words struck Percy's heart like a poisoned arrow; gods only know how much time he'd wasted on that bastard of a father…and here he was, having to relive the same mistake.

Percy closed his eyes, part of him wanting to take the attack and let things play out differently. Percy-before would've won, and perhaps gained his father's approval. "You really think it will change anything?" Nyx wondered.

On instinct, Percy reared his blade back, and shot it forward, making water extend from its edge until it stabbed Percy-before in the stomach. It wasn't being choked, but it was enough to remind Percy of the experience, and that only made him want to twist the knife, so to speak.

Percy dropped Percy-before. "Yield," he ordered. "You'll never win."

The younger doppelganger stood anyway, wounds appearing on his body from nothing, form becoming more ragged than ever before. A hideous, crack-like scar formed around his neck. As it did, the world cracked around them, morphing and twisting into another destroyed battleground, where Percy had beaten Atlas. "I…am the force the splits the sea…" Percy-before growled, voice low and powerful despite his obviously weakened state. Before him, Percy saw Percy-before's blood ooze from his wounds and form around his hands, coalescing into blades. They radiated power, but it wasn't a match for Percy's now. Still, he looked up at Percy, fire still burning white-hot in his eyes. "I won't lose to you," he said, form tensing. "Not now! Not _ever again_!"

Percy-before ran forward like a feral animal, and Percy was quickly forced to summon a second weapon. Now water on blood, Percy and Percy-before dueled, the latter running on fumes, clearly at the end of his rope and even beyond it. "Damn it! Why are you still fighting?!" he yelled at the younger boy. He recalled the day prior to this one, when he'd dueled Prometheus, and gotten a lot of his friends killed, like Michael…even before that, Beckendorf…and just after, Silena… "All of your friends are dead!" he yelled. "You've gotten all of them killed! You could've been stronger, protected _everyone_ and you didn't! So why do you still fight? How can you find the strength to keep standing up!" he cried, half to put him down, and half because he genuinely needed to know. Percy couldn't recall that strength.

"I fight because I _still_ have something worth fighting for!" Percy-before roared, slamming his blood-swords forward and into Percy's, shattering them on impact. So _this_ was what it was like, to fight an unstoppable force of sheer willpower.

Percy was coming at the end of his rope as well, but not physically. It was only made worse as Percy, in a desperate attempt to end things, blasted Percy-before with everything he had, blasting him up into the air. Percy-before took advantage of it, blasting himself back down. Percy tried to shoot him with another blast of water, but Percy-before maneuvered around it and came down in a vicious overhead slash.

Percy managed to avoid the blow for the most part, but received a horrible gash on his arm for it. He cried out, and held his arm, seeing Percy-before rear back for another attack. This was when his body would give out, only it didn't.

Percy-before kept going, launching an assault of epic proportions, forcing Percy onto the defensive. Eventually, Percy managed to blast his face with a well-timed shot, stunning him. He quickly made another weapon, moved behind Percy-before, and slashed. Almost instantaneously, Percy-before arced his back to avoid the slash, and just like that, in the blink of an eye, they were fighting on Olympus. And just like that, Percy was Luke, the traitor. The traitor to both his people, and of his ideals.

Percy fought with everything he had, but with morale quickly fading, it was only a matter of time before he fell. Every time he seemed to make headway, Percy-before would morph into someone else that he'd let down. Nico, Artemis, Beckendorf, Michael, Silena…all the way until Percy-before blurred into Luke's image. He didn't change back, making Percy relive the battle.

" _Crush him_!" Percy heard in his head, the order from everyone around him pounding in his head. He never wanted to fight Luke. He never wanted to have to protect everyone. He wanted Luke to live a peaceful and happy life. He wanted to live peacefully and happily with Annabeth.

But he couldn't do either. Luke attacked with Kronos' scythe, and Percy had to contend, knowing his Achilles Heel, and striking at it. This time, he had enough strength to finish the job.

And as it did, it was as if the world was destroyed along with him. Percy rammed his blade through Luke's heart, killing him and either of their dreams.

The world faded around Percy, as Luke looked up at him with shocked eyes. His form shifted to Jason, as Percy had destroyed any chance for Greeks and Romans to work together, even on the most basic level, by losing control. Tears feel from Percy's eyes; he never wanted things to go like this…

He never wanted to be a hero.

But Other Percy didn't mind so much.

Jason disappeared, as did any will to fight, and yet Percy was forced to do so. He stood, seeing seven figures around him, ready to do battle. It was the Other Seven, from the other timeline, the one where they got along, and everything was good. "Is this some kind of joke?" he muttered, knowing Nyx would hear. "To shove every one of my failures back in my face? Is this what you wanted to see?"

"I warned you that you would be broken," Nyx said, voice coming from Other Percy. "Now face me, Titan Slayer!"

"You want me to fight you? To fight them?" Percy's anger flared once again, and his power flared along with it. If he couldn't have the life he wanted, if he had to suffer and watch as all of his friends died, as he let all of his values slip from his grasp until he truly _did_ become Luke, became the traitor, became the one who doomed the world...then so be it. And they would _still_ call him a hero. "I'll do it with pleasure!" he roared, creating water from nothing, forming a circular barrier around him and the Other Seven. Feeling nothing from the act in his rage, Percy drew on his spilled blood, forming one blade and then the other, scrapping them against each other in a shower of sparks and power.

Other Percy smirked, though Percy didn't know whether it was from Nyx or whether that was Other Percy's personality. Still, he was who attacked first, and the exchange didn't last long. With his first swing, Other Percy was at a disadvantage. Percy blasted him away as Other Jason and Other Annabeth attacked. Percy defended against their assault before blasting Other Annabeth away, and flipping over a sword-swipe from Other Jason, kicking him in the head as he did. This is when Other Frank and Other Hazel joined the fray. Other Frank turned into an elephant and charged, forcing Percy to weave around his legs to avoid being crushed. Other Hazel had difficulty reaching him in the mess of stomping elephant legs, but Other Leo had no difficulty, blasting him with fire when he couldn't easily avoid it. Smart.

Unfortunately for them, Percy was stronger, easily diffusing the blast and then blasting Other Frank off of him using his water. Other Hazel and Other Piper attacked as one, each having trained together on the Argo after the incident in Rome, as Percy recalled. They let loose a synchronized assault which was difficult to block, but Percy's blade held strong as theirs struck true. He was knocked into the air as they went for two cross-slashes, each dashing and slashing past each other as Percy landed, bouncing him back up, only to do it again. He didn't let them get away with it the second time. He flipped in the air, using his water to change his direction a bit, weaving between their strikes and catching their feet as he landed, on his back.

Other Percy leapt up and stabbed, but Percy rolled out of the way and burst up to face an assault from him and Other Jason, each blasting Percy with water and wind, Other Jason flying around and circling him, making him a pesky target. One that Percy wanted to take out first.

He was about to whip some water onto Other Jason's foot, but Other Leo then joined in with pelting Percy with elemental attacks. Percy, frustrated more than in danger, let out a burst of water to ward them off, before grabbing other Jason with a water tendril and flinging him straight into Other Piper and Other Annabeth, who were moving in for an assault.

Other Frank had recovered by now, and turned into a lion, which Other Percy hopped onto for a lift. Percy held up his blades, but was caught as Other Frank and Other Percy attacked at once. Feeling blood drip from his side, Percy quickly flung it towards the two, catching Other Frank in the leg and Other Percy in the off-arm.

Other Piper and Other Annabeth helped Other Jason up off the ground as Other Hazel shot toward him. Percy dashed for her as well, knowing full well he could end her quickly in a one-on-one. He made to slash her head off, but as he did, his blade passed right through her; an afterimage created from her Mist manipulation.

He whirled around, but was too late not to be blasted away by Other Jason. Percy tumbled along the ground. He shot up to his feet to see Other Annabeth, Other Jason, and Other Piper coming right for him. Percy leapt backwards into his water wall and sunk into it, almost becoming water unto himself. He was like a predator on the prowl for his prey.

Only Other Percy seemed to be able to see him, and he wasn't nearly fast enough. Percy began pelting the Other Seven with massive torrents of scalding water, and he'd be lying if he said it wasn't satisfying to see the burns form. Finally, Other Percy caught up, and ripped Percy out of his water wall, but wasn't expecting him to do it so explosively.

Percy smashed his blades to the ground as he landed, sending out a wave of water and knocking most of the Other Seven off their feet, save for Other Frank who turned into a bird in time, Other Percy who diffused it, and Other Jason who flew above it. Other Frank was the one to act first.

"You'll be the first to die," Percy growled as he approached in bird form, only to morph into a mighty dragon halfway through. Percy straight punched Other Frank's hand as it went to claw him in two, knocking him away with his enhanced strength. He shot himself forward using his water, ready to finally kill someone, when he was caught in the air. The wind swirled around him, along with pellets of ice pummeling him as he tumbled through the air. He saw glimpses of Other Percy and Other Jason working to together to create a kind of ice-funnel. A cute move, but nothing Percy wasn't prepared for. He did what he did when Jason caught him in a tornado, latched himself to the ground, and then send out another big burst of water at the two, knocking them away and into the wall of water, with it acting as if it were a literal wall; solid.

Other Leo, in this brief moment of reprieve, blasted Percy with fire, knocking him away and into the wall on the opposite side.

Percy caught himself on his feet, but quickly tumbled to the ground. Were they…were they really wearing him down so much? How long had they been fighting? How long had _he_ been fighting? Really? Five years, since he arrived at Camp Half-Blood?

"Do you wish for it to end, little demigod?" Nyx mocked him, reading his thoughts.

"Shut up!" he yelled, seeing the Other Seven regrouping as he stood. "I'm going to murder each and every goddamn one of you!"

"Ooh, _very_ heroic!" Nyx mocked, though in Other Percy's voice. _His_ voice.

"Rragh!" Percy roared with power, charging forward and engaging everyone at once, determined to kill at least one of them in this attempt.

It happened, but it certainly wasn't smooth. The Other Seven fought as one; when one fell, another took their place. When two attacked, another three were preparing a secondary assault, or shielding them, or providing covering fire. Percy found himself relinquishing hits left and right, desperate to make head-way to victory. He _would_ win this. He _had_ to, and he would, if it killed him.

Long had he forgotten where he was, what the circumstances were for this encounter, and why he cared. It only mattered that he did, and in hindsight, that was his biggest mistake. For all he had to do was stop fighting for it all to end.

But Percy couldn't stop fighting. It was all he was good at, all that he knew how to do, when there was no one to protect, no one to lead, no one to save. When alone, Percy was simply…a monster, just like any he'd slain in the past half-decade.

Finally, Percy saw his opportunity. He blasted everyone away, but Other Frank recovered quickly, and charged forward as a big grisly. Percy saw the attack coming, and in one fell swoop, cut him in half at the torso. He _was_ the first to die.

Other Frank feel motionless, still a bear. Good, now all Percy had to do was take advantage of the gap that made and then-

A roar was heard; Other Hazel dashed forward, not thinking. Percy smirked; easy prey. But she wasn't alone. The others of the Other Seven dashed forward as well in a rage. Soon, six weapons were slashing and stabbing wildly at him. What the hell? They were supposed to break when they lost one of their own. Like Percy always did…

But instead, they only fought harder, recovered faster. If anything, the fight became more difficult. And this held true for every one that Percy killed. First Other Hazel, then Other Leo, then Other Piper, Other Annabeth, Other Jason, leaving only Other Percy.

The doppelganger was injured to hell, almost as much as when Percy had beaten Atlas. And yet, he stood, just as Percy did, but not out of desperation. There was something else in his eyes, something primal that was part of him at the most fundamental level. Hope.

He still believed that he could win, not that he _had_ to win, but that he could. "Give up!" Percy yelled at the boy as he stood. "Stop fighting!"

Other Percy spoke, with it seeming like he was speaking as himself, not Nyx. Percy knew this was a trick, to rile him up even more. "You know, I always thought…thought that someday I might run into a monster I couldn't beat, but…I never imagined it'd be me…"

"I'm not a monster!" Percy returned, still in denial.

"It takes one to butcher all of my friends, all of our friends! You've murdered every person you've ever loved!"

"No, I didn't!"

"But you couldn't protect them! Every time without fail you could've saved them and you didn't!"

"I tried! Gods know I've tried, but I'm not good enough! It's the gods! Blame them; they've doomed me to this life!"

"If you're not good enough, then maybe you should've died before you had this responsibility," Other Percy's eyes lowered. Percy recoiled; that hurt him more than any of their attacks, because he'd considered it on several occasions and regretted not going through with it on many more.

"You…you don't know a thing about what you're talking about!" Percy growled, tears cascading down his cheeks. "You don't know what it's like to have everything on your shoulders and you have to pick and choose what to protect! I chose Annabeth, can you blame me? I love her! But every time I try and spend my life with her those damned Olympians drag me back into their damn games! I can't do both! I can't ever be happy; this is the life I got!"

"Then let me end it," Other Percy said, raising his Riptide. "That'll make us both happier."

"No…stop that…" Percy said, voice going to a whisper. "Stop doing that…"

"I'm going to end things here and now."

"No, you don't know what's best for me…no one does…no one else can bear this burden…no one but me has to bear the burden of the world…" Percy dropped and dematerialized his blood swords, seemingly giving up. "You…you damned gods…you've taken everything from me…my life, my freedom, my happiness…"

Other Percy dashed forward for the final time. He raised his blade to strike, and Percy held a hand out. But not to block it.

A pulse of power radiated from his hand, and Other Percy froze. "W-what?" Nyx's voice shone through. "What is this? What are you doing to me?"

"You gods…deserve everything that comes to you. And I'm going to enjoy every single minute of your suffering," Percy flexed his hand, and the world around them shattered back to the big room made of the night sky that he started in. Nyx was uninjured, frozen into a twisted position by Percy's, for lack of a better term, blood-bending, or in this case, ichor-bending. Amon, eat your heart out.

"You…th-this…this is impossible! You g-ack!" Percy twisted her arm until it cracked. "You shouldn't have this power…you shouldn't be this strong…"

"It's far from impossible. You know that I've done it an infinite number of times in an infinite number of other timelines," Percy said, voice low and cold. Like Atlas'. "You Olympians are so frail. It's so easy to make you kneel. To think I feared you all once."

"You insolent mort-ah!" he twisted her leg. "Torturing me won't bring your friends back, Titan Slayer. You know-" she let out a cry of pain as Percy bent her back the wrong way.

" _Don't_ mention them!" he snapped through gritted teeth. "You told me that you were going to break me; are you happy? Isn't this what you wanted?" he questioned, to which she was silent, terrified. "Now I'm going to see how long it takes to break _you_! I imagine it won't be more than a few minutes."

"Ha! You're just a pathetic child!" she mocked. Percy twisted her again.

"I won't let you take anyone else away from me again!" Percy vowed. "Even if I have to tear Olympus down. Brick. By. Brick."

"You…you're a monster…"

The son of Poseidon grit his teeth. He could've ignored that; he was at a massive advantage; he couldn't possibly lose. He could've ignored it, finished the job, and moved on. But that wasn't what he _wanted_ to do. He wanted to hurt this goddess, make her feel an inkling of how he's been hurt over the past half a decade. Did that make him a monster? If it didn't, then murdering the Other Seven likely did, just as Other Percy had said.

"Know this, Titan Slayer; if you do this, then you will have lost, and I will have won."

Percy's eyes flared with power, as he looked down on the goddess of the night. And all Percy said before he began torturing her was, "I don't care."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **There you go, Percy is fucking broken! He has been broken down to his barest, rawest emotions and been revealed...**

 **Sorry for ruining you all's favorite character lol**

 **Anyway, if you want to discuss this chapter, please review with your thoughts and I'd love to PM you guys. Or better yet, Discord! Back in chapter 45 I put my account, so you can add me and then join the group chat!**

 **If not, eh? Oh well. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll see you all tomorrow!**


	58. Another Hero Rises

"Geez, you're up early," Luke mentioned as he ran into Jason going out to deck. "What are you doing?"

Jason shrugged. "Eh, and it's not that early; only six in the morning," he said nonchalantly as they stepped outside. "And I'm going to get us on course since Leo is sleeping like a log."

"You're actually cutting that kid some slack?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"With how he's been acting?" Luke added, to which Jason gave him a blank look, shrugging before climbing up to the wheel. "…You're too nice for your own good."

"I mean, if you think about it, I'm just trying to not escalate things. Back in Venice, I started to give in to that side of me that doesn't like you Greeks, and snapped at him. I'd rather avoid that happening again, with a bit more, uh…catastrophic results."

"…"

Jason chuckled. "What's wrong? Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed today?"

"Mm…" Luke only grunted, scratching the back of his head, eyes closed.

"Oh, and have you seen Piper? I'd have thought she'd be with the baby, but she wasn't. Thank the gods the kid stayed asleep through the night."

Luke froze at the girl's mention, eyes open. "…I wouldn't know," he claimed. "Maybe she got up to eat?"

"No," Jason said. "And she wasn't in her room either."

"Jeez, stalker much?"

"She just seemed really out of sorts yesterday, you know? I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

"Well…you know, she's tough; I'm sure she was fine," Luke said as they began moving. "A-anyway, forget about that for now. We've got to work on your lightning today, right?"

"Ugh, don't remind me…"

xxxXXXxxx

Piper woke up later that day, around noon. Yes, she was entirely lazy, even sleeping through Leo's obnoxious alarm. She didn't wake up particularly well-rested either, still feeling a bit lethargic as she shuffled out of bed and towards the dining area. For the record, she had almost completely forgotten about the baby.

She passed by Leo's open room, and there he was, tinkering with some random toy. Piper blinked a few times, considering not even talking to the boy; he'd been acting like a total jerk since Rome. So what if Grover died? " _We were his friends too; get over yourself,_ " she thought, despite realizing how unfair that was.

Still, she knocked on the boy's door to get his attention. "Go away, Jason," he said immediately. Piper frowned.

"Try again," she said. It took her a few moments to remember that she wasn't conversing with Luke, and that she had to be careful.

Leo turned to face her, eyes lowered into a scowl. "…You look terrible," he commented. "Did you not sleep last night or something?"

Piper froze, face turning red. She hoped Leo assumed it was the heat from his room. "Uh…"

"If you worried about me, don't be; I already ate and slept and stuff. Just do your thing," he turned away, not seeming to care that much. Piper wanted to go in there and slap him, but figured she should just leave him alone. Instead, she returned to her own room, and fixed herself up. She didn't want anyone else commenting on how she slept.

By the time she did that, got breakfast, and checked on the baby, Piper felt as good as new; maybe all she needed was some food, given that she hadn't eaten since the prior morning. Afterwards, she made her way outside. She saw Jason sitting in the middle of the deck, looking bored out his mind in some kind of experiment with his powers. In his hand was a small ball of lightning. She shot him a quizzical look, and pointed to it.

"Oh, this? Luke wants to see how long I can maintain it," he said. "'No distractions,' he says…" the son of Jupiter sighed. "Anyway, what about you? You seemed shaken up. Are you okay?"

She pulled out her pen, and wrote. 'Never better,' she claimed, which wasn't a total lie. Even still, she found herself burying her face into her scarf.

"You sure? I mean, you- gah!" his hand sparked more violently than before, sending a wave of pain through his arm. Jason growled in frustration. "No! Come on, I was…ugh…" with a crushed look, Jason flicked his hand to create a spark, and began again. "It's been happening all morning…"

'Well,' Piper considered her words, pensive to the situation. 'You struggled yesterday too, right?'

"But there I wasn't starting from scratch," he returned. 'I've been at this for almost seven hours and I can barely hold it for ten minutes! Even after that breakthrough the other day, I…" he sighed. "I'm just…getting impatient. If I just relax, then it'll be fine. I'm letting my mind wander too much."

Piper bit her lip, sitting down in front of him, and grasping his hands. "Concentrate," she ordered.

"Piper, what are you-"

"Make it bigger," she ordered, to which he obeyed automatically. "Force it to stay in control," she said, seeing it starting to react violently. "Focus on me, focus on my breathing. Concentrate."

She made her breaths slow and deliberate; controlled in every way she could think of, where it be air speed, volume, length, even the pitch of the breaths. Even still, the lightning occasionally went haywire, shocking one of them. Piper forced herself not to recoil at the sudden stimulus, instead keeping her hands locked into his.

"You're losing it," she said. "Come on, you can do this."

"I don't _want_ to do this," Jason argued, tugging his hands away and letting the ball of lightning fizzle out. "What's with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," he answered automatically, lips curled into a frown. "You're not supposed to get on my case like this; I have a teacher and he said to do it a certain way."

Piper took out her pen, not wanting to accidentally slip up. 'But you said you wanted to control you lightning. That was more controlled than ever,' she claimed. 'I want to help you.'

"Yeah? Well, I did too, back on our quest. You weren't exactly appreciative of that," he claimed. She went to retort, but stopped before writing anything. "…I'm sorry. I'm just…a little wound up from all this…sitting around, you know?"

Seeing his face soften, Piper smiled. 'It's okay,' she wrote. Jason looked like he had more to say, but was refraining. 'You wanna talk about it?' His eyes lit up briefly; that was exactly what he wanted. 'What's wrong?'

"I just…I feel like I'm hitting a roadblock, and so soon after I've _really_ started improving, you know? I guess that's the heart of it," he lamented. "After the Titans, I thought everything would go back to normal, and since then I've…been exposed to so many new things and new people and new mindsets. Some of them I wish I hadn't met, like the Giants, but some I'm glad to have, like you and Leo and Grover, and…and even Percy, as much as he makes me angry. I, uh…I never really had much reason to…improve myself, you know? Once I got good with my wind, I wasn't ever really challenged as the strongest Roman, and I didn't pursue my training much further than that. I was busy with other things, like…making New Rome better, improving the Legion, helping my friends."

'It's a lot easier to deal with other people's flaws, huh?' she wrote, smiling to offset how that could easily be taken the wrong way, as in a kind of 'glass house' statement. She was glad he didn't see it that way.

"Yeah. So, when I saw you Greeks, and especially as I've been…forced…to see everyone grow around me, it's made me realize that I've stagnated. I think that was why things went so poorly in Rome, at least that's my theory."

Jason paused, allowing the words to sink in, and allowing Piper some time to respond. 'Are you sure you're not putting too much pressure on yourself?' she asked.

"Honestly? I think that if anything, I'm not putting on enough," he claimed. "I _know_ I'm able to do more, and there's so much more to do now that we've established a connection with Greeks and Romans. Once this is all over, I'll have a lifetime's worth of problems to solve, and I need to be at my very best and very strongest if I'm going to rise above the challenge. That's why I'm just…so frustrated. It feels like the Fates themselves are conspiring to hinder my progress toward…my ideal self. Does that make sense? I feel like I'm just missing _one thing_ with my lightning. Like if I had one new piece of information or some context into how exactly it worked, that I could have it down pat within a few hours. It's like I'm missing a word or phrase in a sentence, and without it, the sentence doesn't make sense. You know?"

"…Would 'velaira' be the word?" she wondered, to which he chuckled.

"No…no, but I wish it were that easy…you know, Mother appeared to me in a vision once, did you know that?"

'Lupa?'

"Yeah. It was back when I was suffering from amnesia, and it was right after I tried to tame Tempest for the first time. She felt she had to give me some…tough love. Typical of her, really. But one thing really bothered me; she said I knew a phrase every true Roman should know, like it's in my blood, or something. For the life of me, though…I've never been able to think about it. During the quest after I spoke with her, I didn't get much of a chance to really think about it, and ever since we left Camp Half-Blood, I also haven't had much time, but that in-between period, where we were just waiting…and especially after Percy went all…psycho on us. I thought about it a lot then."

'You think that if you can remember that phrase, that you'll get over your mental block?' Piper guessed.

"Reading it like that, it seems too convenient…but I guess it's all a matter of perspective, really…" he sighed again, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry. I know how you must _love_ my rants."

'It's okay; everybody needs it sometimes,' she wrote, before adding in jest, 'But when we get back, Reyna is the one who will have to deal with them.'

That made him laugh a bit harder. "Yeah, and then she'll bring me flowers and play a song on the world's smallest violin," he joked. "No, she's not that kind of girl, I don't think."

Piper waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. 'I think you should give her more credit,' she wrote. 'She seemed nice, for all of the three minutes I spent with her.'

"She also wanted to kill you for wearing Tempus' scarf," he mentioned, making Piper grimace. He chuckled again. "Kidding, kidding."

"Hey!" Luke slid down the ladder from the crow's nest. "I said no distractions."

"I'm just taking a short break," Jason claimed, standing. Luke looked at him briefly, before turning to Piper.

"Hey," he greeted her with a smile, which she returned.

"Hey," she greeted back, and they held their stare for a moment too long before breaking away. Thankfully, Jason didn't seem to notice.

"You've been up there all day; what have you been doing?"

"Well, Cupid mentioned that Greece had a gatekeeper, and…you saw what happened with the last one," he said. Jason grimaced, remembering Hercules. "We're approaching Greece now, but I've been looking out for it. My bet is that they'll appear any minute."

"But…wait, how would they guard the whole of Greece? With Hercules, it can be argued that, at least by sea, that was the only way in. How could a gatekeeper keep track of the entirety of…" Jason trailed off, seeing an image form in the distance. "Holy…"

"Land ho!" Bianca called from above, before sliding down to meet the others. Leo quickly joined them as well.

"What _is_ that…?"

"It looks like…a tower…"

"Or a big stone zit," Bianca mentioned. The others looked at her weird. "What? It's not like it's complete. Look, there's even scaffolding at the top," she pointed, and sure enough, there was.

"How can you even see that with a blindfold on?"

"Dude, soul-vision is great!" was all she said on the subject. Leo huffed and went to the wheel, steering them toward the tower. Even when they were moving somewhat to the side of it, the tower shifted to eventually block their path.

Once docked at its base, the crew was met with a whole host of wind spirits, even some resembling those chicken men from _way_ back in Jason's quest at Camp Half-Blood. Of course, that was one of the more unpleasant experiences he had while shadowing the Greeks, so that this reminded him of it wasn't a good sign.

"Something tells me we're about to meet a wind god," the son of Jupiter muttered.

"I'm thinkin' you're right," Leo agreed.

Jason turned to Luke. "You feeling okay?"

"So far, so good," he claimed, not feeling Kronos at all.

They were led to a throne room not unlike Boreas' by some nameless wind spirits, and left there. The man, or rather wind god, sitting on the throne seemed…amused. As if Jason hadn't seen _that_ before when addressing the gods. "So the Aduro shows his face."

"I'm sorry, you're Lord, uh…"

"Eurus," he introduced. Jason vaguely recalled when Grover described him, and how it was confusing which one he actually was. Jason couldn't recall his other persona, should it be called that. "God of the east wind, and of autumn; doomed to guard this forgotten land."

"Right…and what is this place, exactly, gramps?" Bianca questioned. Eurus' lip twitched at her unprofessionalism.

"…I suppose the closest thing you've likely heard of is the Tower of Babel."

"Great, I guess _the entire_ Greco-Roman pantheon is migrating to Christianity," Luke commented.

"Insolent…" Eurus took in a deep breath, making all of their clothes ruffle. "That story is an altered form of a Sumerian tale."

"But…Greece came to prominence like a thousand years after that."

"And yet their stories lived on. As the rest of Greece travelled west and adopted their modern identities, I was left behind, and went east, with these Sumerian tales," he claimed. While it didn't make much sense to the modern demigods, such godly tendencies rarely did. They all just had to move past it.

"Lord Eurus," Jason bowed his head respectfully. "We come seeking passage into Greece. You must know why we're in a hurry."

"I do, but I cannot allow you passage," he said.

"What?" Leo questioned.

"Why not?" Bianca agreed.

Leo lit his metal arm ablaze in warning. "Listen, buddy, we're on our way to-" before he could do anything Eurus blasted him away with a wind so fast, strong, and precise that not only did Jason not see it, but he didn't even feel it. It was as if the wind had nothing to do with it, and the force was telekinetic. Bianca rushed back to help him to his feet.

"The Fallen lack manners, the Aduro lack spines. Truly, these are dark times for your kind," the god lamented. Jason gritted his teeth at the insult, but held his tongue. "As I said, I cannot offer you passage; Greece is far too dangerous to enter under _any_ circumstances."

"All due respect, the world will literally end if we don't get through," Piper spoke up, attempting to Charmspeak the god. "Maybe you could make an exception? Maybe there's a loophole? Surely we can work something out?"

Eurus considered her for a moment, before blasting her away just the same as he did with Leo. "Piper!" Jason cried, though Luke was the first to make it to her, catching her before she landed and setting her down. "Please, there's no need for this violence," he pleaded with the god, though he looked less than convinced.

"Hm…now that I think about it…" the god stood. "There _is_ one way for you lot to pass through to Greece."

"Anything, please."

He held his arms out as he spoke, his voice echoing through the chamber, though it fell on their ears like lead. "Release me from my torment of endless defense. Kill me, and you may pass."

The Argo II crew was speechless; never before had a god _asked_ to be killed. Granted, only Luke could technically do it, as the rest would simply scatter his essence to be reformed later, but still. Luke was expecting Kronos to try and vie for control at that, but the tightening in his chest never came. And in fact, Luke knew why; both he and Kronos knew that this was Jason's fight.

"I…we…we could never…" Jason didn't have a clue what to say. This was…unheard of. This was sacrilegious. This was _wrong_ , in every way imaginable. But if it truly was the only way…no, they couldn't possibly kill a god. There…no demigod in their right mind would wish that.

"With pleasure," Leo lit ablaze again, shaking Bianca off of him, and charging.

"Leo, no!" Jason cried, but it was too late. The son of Hephaestus let loose a concentrated stream of flames, white hot in intensity, straight at the god of the east wind. When they connected with the deity, it blasted him back into his throne, destroying it. At first, the attack seemed effective, but it soon became clear that he was able to shrug it off with little effort.

"You lack discipline," the god said, voice carrying over the noise of the flames. With one push, he blasted away the winds and knock Leo away once again, more forcefully this time.

"Y-you…please, Lord Eurus, you can't possibly expect us to kill you!" Jason pleaded. "You know none of us have the strength!"

"I beg to differ!" the god moved on the wind, his version of the wind, to attack Bianca. The girl, even with her soul-vision, couldn't even summon her shadows or draw her sword in time to defend herself. The wind bombarded her attacks, crushing her from every angle, making her let out a cry of agony as she fell to the ground.

Luke tried to launch an offensive, but only made it a few steps before he froze up. Kronos froze him so easily, it was embarrassing. With his freezing, though, Luke was blasted away just as easily as the others.

Next on the god's list was Piper. Finally, upon realizing this, Jason rushed forward on his own wind. "Stay away from her!" he demanded, only to be slammed down into the ground.

"You _dare_ carry the wind in my presence, Aduro?" he questioned. Jason was flung this way and that, like he was a kid being bullied out of his lunch money. Meanwhile, Eurus had ordered the wind spirits that were nearby to attack Piper, who was forced to defend herself.

Eventually, the god seemed to grow bored of Jason, and flung him back toward his destroyed throne. The son of Jupiter stood hesitantly, not exactly wanting to continue fighting.

"Piper, you need to run!" he called.

"No, Aduro, _you_ need to _fight_!" Eurus dashed toward him, shooting him into the wall, and through it and out into open air. Jason caught himself from falling, seeing that Bianca and Leo had been knocked out the same hole. Jason flew toward them, slamming all three of them back into the building a few floors below the throne room. There, Jason saw Piper and Luke in a heap on a pile of rubble form having been blasted through the floor.

"So is it just me, or is he stronger than my dad?" Bianca questioned, trying to catch her breath.

" _You're_ stronger than your dad," Luke reminded her.

"…A fair point."

Eurus shot through the hole and charged all three of them. Jason tried to blast him back, but even with his increased power, his control over the wind was nothing compared to the god's, and thus it was ineffective. He shot past them, carrying them on the wind, and shooting them up through the same floors/ceilings that Leo and Bianca had just fallen through.

Once at the top, Eurus whipped up a massive tornado, sweeping them all up inside, and continually hitting all of them with concussive, piercing wind before shooting them all down into the ground, blasting them all to the ground floor. Leo took the brunt of the damage, being on the bottom. He was unconscious as soon as they landed.

Jason and Luke stood, but Eurus knocked the latter back down and blasted the former away from the others, out onto a kind of bridge that led to nowhere. "Pathetic…if you all cannot even defeat me, then you have no hope of standing against the Giants. All the more reason I should not let you pass," he mocked, slowly moving toward the pile of demigods on the ground.

Jason tried to will the wind to his side, but it was as if Eurus was blocking him from gathering it. No matter what he did, he couldn't draw any towards him. " _Please! All we need is time to regroup!"_ he thought desperately, once again willing the wind toward him, to no avail.

Just then, a wave of shadows washed over the area. "You've left me with no other choice," Bianca's voice echoed, slow and methodical. "But to use my full power."

Jason looked, seeing the girl's shadows behind her, forming a kind of protective wall from the others. Her face was even shrouded with them, hair standing straight up and looking like a black flame. Eurus scoffed, unimpressed. "You expect to defeat me like that?" he questioned, even as ghostly hands shot from the ground and entangled him. He merely sighed as the daughter of Hades hardened her shadows into jagged blades, shooting them toward the god at unreal speed. Even entangled, the god's body was able to dodge them, fading into mist or wisps of air as the attacks approached. Still, he was occupied. Now, Jason could make his way to the others and-

"Jason!" Piper yelled. "Please, you _have_ to use your lightning!"

He froze, body welling up with power. " _W…why?_ " he thought. " _Bianca can…then we can…beat him…"_

"I said use your lightning!" she yelled again, more forcefully this time.

" _No, I'm not ready yet!"_ he yelled in his head, bolts releasing haphazardly at her command. He did his best to keep it under control, to put it out, but it just kept coming. Soon, Bianca's power broke. At first, Jason assumed she just wasn't at one hundred percent, but it quickly became clear that Eurus had escaped. He shot toward them, and blasted them all with his wind, over and over and over again.

"No, stop!" Jason pleaded, his desperation making it infinitely harder to keep everything under control. "I need to…stop…"

"No, boy, you need to let go," Eurus claimed. "If you even want to save your friends, you will release everything!"

"You can't run away anymore!" Piper called between blasts, and at that moment everything disappeared.

Jason found himself, at first, in a white void, before different things came into focus, and he found himself back at the wolf house.

"She is right, pup," Lupa said behind him. He whirled around, bolts still releasing from his body.

"But I'm not ready! I can't do this, I need more time!" he pleaded.

"You don't have more time!" Lupa growled, prowling around him like she was about to devour him.

"Please, Mother…I need your help, I need your guidance."

"You need nothing from me…or so you claim."

"No, I do!"

"Then start acting like it!" she snapped her jaws at him, making him flinch. "You _must_ stop running, whether toward or away from your problems!"

"But…if I stop moving…"

"You'll have to face who you are. All your life, you have never stopped moving; at that prospect, you're a coward. You wish to lead my children and yet you are barely fit to be called one of them. You deny my teachings for your own selfish pacifistic desires. Pathetic!"

"I just…I just want to help people…"

"And to do that, you seek to please them? A foolish venture, pup. A leader doesn't respect others, but _is_ respected. Romans are leaders, each and every one; they command respect from everyone around them, because if they didn't, then they would cease being Roman. A child of mine who commands nothing is no better than one of the Fallen. Have you Fallen, pup?"

"…No…"

"I can't hear you!" she growled.

"I said no!" Jason yelled back, lightning beginning to coalesce around him.

"Then you will obey my teachings without question! You are a Roman, and so you will conquer. You are a Roman, and so you will command respect from _everyone_ around you. You are a Roman, and so when you find that all hope is lost and your brothers and sisters lie battered and beaten beside you, you will stand, you will strike fear into the hearts of your enemies, and you will tell them…"

The Wolf House slowly melted away, and with it, so too did Jason's hesitation. As if a switch had been flipped, or more accurately broken, Jason screamed. His body burned with energy as he built up everything he could muster around him. Every muscle in his body tensed as Eurus and the battle came back into view. He saw his friends on the ground, battered and beaten, and hundreds of hostile wind spirits floating in joy around him, ready to pounce when he struck.

Jason vision burned to white, but as he willed his power to increase even further, he closed his eyes, just in time to see a lightning bolt arc out of the sky, and right onto him.

The bolt vaporized any spirits that were within several meters from him. The bridge exploded into a bright white light as Jason was engulfed by the massive blast.

Eurus had stopped attacking, attention turned to the son of Jupiter. His friends also looked at him, in shock, in awe. "By the gods…" Luke muttered, never before having seen such raw power.

"Jason…?" Piper said his name like it was foreign, and Jason himself was unrecognizable.

The light faded, though that's not accurate. Rather, it was absorbed into Jason's own body, feeding it energy, the air around him so charged that any spirits who attacked where incinerated before they reached him. His body glowed with light and power, small sparks and flecks of light arcing around him. His clothes and hair were still; he was entirely focused on his lightning, just like Luke had told him.

He opened his eyes, and for a brief moment, they flashed with white, as if he'd lost control again. Then, his sky blue irises appeared, seemingly glowing with power. He held his arm in front of him in challenge, his presence being felt from hundreds of meters away as if he were a god himself. And he said only one phrase, Lupa's phrase that every true Roman knew.

"I have arrived," he announced, and the air of not only the battle, but the entire quest, had changed. Whereas before they had hoped to break even, now, they could truly win.

Eurus scoffed, though even he seemed a bit unnerved, and Jason hadn't even done anything yet. Eurus shot a blast of wind toward Jason, but it was far too slow. The son of Jupiter held his hand out, shooting a straight beam of light, or more accurately a bolt of lightning so focused that it didn't zig-zag in its path, that punctured Eurus' blast, nullifying it and blasting away the god.

It all happened so fast that not even Luke could see it occur. All he saw was a brief flash and then the god was gone and the air around all of them had heated up, only to cool down again within another second.

Eurus appeared again, flying up into the air, looking as if he'd been on fire just a second prior. Hair singed, clothes burned to shreds, eyes wide in pain. Jason walked toward him, across the bridge. With each step, another bolt of lightning arced out of the sky, though none he drew toward him. He had more than enough power to end things. As he walked, Eurus' wind spirits attacked, but all were destroyed. Only when they were all dead did Jason stop and look up at the wind god.

"You…this…no demigod could…" the god didn't even have the words. He'd expected Jason to be powerful, but this…this was impossible. "You _can't_ be this strong! You-" his voice caught as another figure appeared behind Jason. It filled the demigod with pride and confidence, just from his presence. "By Zeus himself…" Eurus said of the king of the gods, who'd appeared to watch his son.

Jason's anger flared at the Greek god's name. "Say that again," he said, clenching his fists and building up power again.

"W-what?"

"It's _not_ Zeus," he claimed, as a massive circle of white heat appeared beneath him.

"He can't be serious!" Luke cried, knowing what he was about to do.

"It's Jupiter!"

Jason shot his hand forward and willed the bolt to erupt from the ground beneath him. Jason used his own body as a conduit, and, just as he suspected, it increased the bolt's power exponentially, releasing all of his built up rage into one attack.

It shot from the ground, releasing a massive shockwave as it burst into the sky, right toward the god, engulfing him and then some. Within seconds, Eurus' body was vaporized, and within another few again, his essence was scattered.

It didn't look like lightning; it appeared as just a massive beam of pure light.

And when it was over, Jason could say he killed a god. He was now, officially, a God Slayer. And once that clicked in his brain, Jason fell to the ground, and passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! What did you think? So, don't worry, this isn't the end of Jason's character arc. If anything, this is the mid-way point for him, but given how long of a journey it is, I'd still count this as a big chapter.**

 **Especially cuz he just straight killed a god lol.**

 **Anyhow, I promise this wasn't intentional, but it turned out that the arguably biggest moment of triumph with the two main characters in The Cruel Spider and United We Stand both take place in chapter 58, so...that's kind of interesting I guess.**

 **Other than that, ED for this season. I thinking about a couple songs, including "Re:Re" from Erased (I prefer the version by Nathan Sharp) and "Two Side of the Same Coin", the fifth ed of Hunter X Hunter (to draw on parallels between both Percy and Luke as well as Luke and Kronos. Another choice of mine was "Nandemonaiya" the creidts song from Your Name. A final option was "Knew Day", the opening the Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash.**

 **Ultimately, I decided on "Dive to World" by CHERRYBLOSSOM (yes, with all caps, I hate it too). I would recommend the original music vid because the main singer are trying way too hard and it's a bit funny, but the actual version I'd recommend is the one by, again, Nathan Sharp. The song could easily relate to United We Stand, as it's about two people trying to pick up their partners from despair...to put it bluntly.**

 **An obvious parallel is to Annabeth and Percy, and then logically the other would be picking up Jason, but who? It could be argued Reyna, Piper, or Tempus. Any of them would be fine with me. Of course, to hell with me.**

 **I want to know what you think; personally, I'd consider the previous chapter to be the bigger gut punch, but this one has a much larger baring on the overall story, because it literally halts the negative feedback loop of the Argo II crew and reverse it. You'll see.**

 **Anyhoo, this is where I'm going to break. Expect me to finish up House of Hades sometime at the beginning of next month...or before that, if we're lucky (we probably won't be lucky).**


	59. Better Than This

"Percy? Percy, where are you?"

Annabeth's voice echoed in a void of black. After she'd been hit by that…thing, in the mansion, she couldn't see anything. She kept calling for Percy, and the longer he failed to respond, the faster her heartrate became. Her body tensed as she remembered what happened the last two times she was left to fend for herself in this hellhole…

"Damn it…" she kept blinking, to clear her vision, but it wasn't her that was the problem. "Gods, could this get any worse?"

"You'd be surprised, child," the voice appeared again, of the woman in the mansion.

"Who's there?" Annabeth questioned. "Where am I?"

"Calm yourself," she said, whoever she was. Her voice wasn't mocking as if sounded before, but more comforting. It almost calmed Annabeth down. Almost.

"Show yourself!" A moment of silence. Then, her form shimmered out of the starlight. Her presence was unlike anything Annabeth had felt before; old, powerful, even more so than the gods. "Who…you're a protogenos, right?"

"Indeed," she said, stepping toward it. It felt like Godzilla was walking up to her, the feeling was so intense.

"You're…you're going to kill me?" Annabeth found herself asking, knowing she stood no chance against this thing. "Where's Percy?"

"Being broken," she claimed. "But I won't do the same to you. No, you…you could more use some assistance."

"W-what? You're going to help? Why?" she asked. Technically, there didn't have to be a reason; the protogenos aren't subject to normal human thought, or at least are so far above them that, as the gods unrightfully claimed for themselves, the protogenos are to humans as humans are to ants. To them, it didn't matter.

Still, this protogenos _did_ answer, though it was more reciprocating what Annabeth already knew. "I can do as I please, and I wish to help you. Tartarus is simple-minded; he wishes to destroy you, but I say it's more interesting to give you both a fair shot of escape. Then, if you fail, it's more entertaining to see your hope fade at the last possible second than have withered away long before your death. And if you succeed, then you succeed, and the journey will have been interesting in and of itself. You see my point, child?"

"I…suppose…can you show us the way to the Doors of Death?"

"I cannot, but Tartarus will allow you to find it anyway," she said. "I understand you have lost your memories?"

"I…yes, from-"

"Juno never _was_ a very thorough goddess, always letting things slip through. Like Hercules, or Jason," the deity mused. "It should be rather simple to retrieve them."

"I'm…sorry, but…what should I call you?"

"Nox," she said simply. "Now…are you ready to relive your life?"

Confused as Nox waved her hand, Annabeth saw the world burst to life. Images shot by them in intermittent bursts, and scenes and events entered her brain at four times the speed. She remembered her early life of struggling with her father and stepmother, running away and meeting Luke and Thalia, those damn Cyclopes, the slaughter at Half-Blood Hill, where only she and Luke made it out alive. She remembered her first years at camp, struggling to fit in and having difficulty making friends, even in this new place where people were supposed to understand her. She remembered slowly drifting away from Luke despite both of their wishes and meeting people who would become her good friends, like Beckendorf and Silena, and being bullied by Clarisse. She remembered this weird boy who showed up passed out and covered in Minotaur blood, and how he was really frustrating but also oddly fascinating. She remembered that she went on a quest with him, and that his name was Percy.

Things slowed down briefly, to show her a specific scene. It wouldn't occur to her until a bit later why Nox showed her this specific memory. Annabeth and Grover were talking to police, and Percy was in a bus behind them, interrogating a Kindly One. He was grinning as he tortured it. That image, of him smiling as he inflicted so much pain onto this creature…it was burned into her head all over again.

Things accelerated again, where they faced Medusa, and they had an encounter at the Arch in Missouri, and then did a favor for Ares to get a ride to Vegas. Then, things slowed down again. They were in a truck with a bunch of animals, Grover not included. She and Percy were sitting around, and one line stuck in her head; "If I can do these types of things and be rejected, then maybe someone like you won't have to," Percy had said, in reference of his cruelty before.

The scene sped up, and slowed down again. They were on a beach, overlooking the Long Island Sound. Annabeth recognized it; they were in Camp Half-Blood. Annabeth turned back to face Percy, both really beat up from their recent excursion to the Sea of Monsters. "Thanks," Annabeth-before said.

"For what?"

"For making me smile more…" Annabeth stopped listening for a moment, remembering how much weight lifted from her shoulders upon saying that. "For all I know, we'll be broken apart tomorrow. For all I know, you may die, or I may die, and whoever is left will be heartbroken. But if there's a chance, Percy…if there's a chance that this can work out….instead of giving into this…awful life…don't you think that a wish is better than nothing?" Annabeth-before had an…interesting way of confessing her feelings. Perhaps in the moment, she'd still had painkillers in her system, because jeez that's corny. Though also sweet; the words were like sugar on Annabeth's tongue; she wanted more and more.

"Yeah, and I think that's something…" Percy-before was still terrible at confessing his as well. "I mean, I really do like you, Annabeth, and I-"

Annabeth-before silenced him, placing a finger on his forehead. "Brighteyes," she corrected, and then everything washed away. Annabeth's heart rate increased, her chest pulsed and her skin got hot. She wanted to say it was because of the nickname, the one which she loved so much, but it was actually because Nox now showed her a volcano. Percy-before and Annabeth-before were older, maybe fifteen or sixteen. Annabeth-before was with Luke, on one side of doorway, and Percy-before was on the other, the one closest to Annabeth and Nox. The sight sickened the daughter of Athena.

"I don't want to watch this part," she spoke up.

"Hm?"

"I don't want to watch it. I know what happens, I-" her voice caught in her throat, as if all of the feelings she'd had in that moment returned in an instant.

"I might not get another chance to say this…I love you, Brighteyes," Percy-before said it, before slamming the door in her face, and shutting out the rest of the memory. Annabeth remembered the pain of that moment, of watching her beloved willingly sacrifice himself. All at once the pain came onto her, making her drop to her knees.

"Stop it! Please!" she begged, just as a massive golden light welled up in front of her from an attack, followed by a wave of water shielding her from it. Percy-before stood in front of her, ready to handle an onslaught on her behalf, because she was too weak to stand up to it on her own.

Annabeth had always been weak. Compared to Percy, or Bianca, or Thalia, she was nothing. Maybe that was part of the reason she was so hell-bent to follow the Mark on her own, some kind of unconscious obsession with…

Annabeth found herself chuckling, as a whole year passed right before her eyes. A sick obsession with doing things by herself, and that he pride acted before her brain…exactly what Percy had said. Gods, he really did know her.

Annabeth felt a prick in her side as they battled in Manhattan, an old wound from a poison knife. After that, all she got in terms of memory was fuzzy images. Things only really came back into focus as everyone was gearing up for a major battle, one led by Atlas.

Annabeth, once again, was left on the sidelines. Both she and Percy knew that it was a major blow to her pride, but it was what was best. Percy needed to be able to fight at full capacity, and against a Titan, Annabeth would've only gotten in the way, unfortunately.

She saw as Percy came back on death's door, victorious, but filled with dread at having a whole other battle to fight the next day. They went back to his apartment, and talked about the elephant; what had really happened as she, Luke, and Thalia approach Camp Half-Blood, and why she and Luke were the only survivors.

That whole memory came flooding back for the second time in ten minutes, making her miss what was said by the both of them. Even in her memory, Annabeth couldn't recall. Instead, she remembered the absolute euphoria of their sex that night. Of course, it had some…unforeseen consequences, but in the moment, Annabeth wouldn't have had it any other way.

And of course…the final day of the Titan War, where a whole lot of demigod blood was spilled for no reason…when Silena died…when Thalia died…when Luke died…and the day Percy was told, in absolute certainty, that he would _never_ be free from this life. And Annabeth had to watch the hope fade from his eyes.

She hasn't seen that hope in him since.

Things went by in a rush after that, as camp kept in high gear as dozens of demigods were found thanks to the gods telling them where they all were and Winona there to retrieve them. It was a blur all the way until Juno visited, and from there, the arguments that happened, until that final night before Annabeth's memories were taken from her.

Nox willed the show away, leaving only them and the darkness once again. Annabeth was still on her knees, feeling…dissatisfied with what she'd been given. "Are you not happy, child?" Nox asked.

"…"

"Surely you would not break so easily; you've lived through all of this before, have you not?"

Annabeth stood, and looked at her hands; hands which, in the face of such awesome powers as the gods and Percy and Jason…were meaningless. "…I'm just a little…" she started shaking, before clenching her fists. "…I'd forgotten…how small I was…"

"You are not the only demigod to have realized this about yourself. Unlike him, however, you lack the capacity to change that," Nox claimed.

"…Then why does he care about me?" Annabeth's voice lowered into a whisper.

"Speak up, child."

"Percy doesn't need me…he's fine on his own. He's strong and smart…he's resourceful…he's a hero…and I'm just…I'm just his…damsel-in-distress…the one for him to save when I get in over my head…just like what happened in Rome…" she lamented. "So why does he care about me?! I can't give him anything in return for…for everything he's given me…"

Nox blinked, and images appeared, of Percy grinning as he tortured a Kindly One, of him charging headfirst to his death in rage and madness, of him recklessly confronting Atlas, in the foolish belief that he had something to prove.

"…That's not him," Annabeth claimed. "He's past all of that. He…he's…"

"You claim he lacks darkness within him? That he has somehow cast it out? The boy is darker than ever; tainted by the blood of his loved ones," Nox said.

"No…no, none of their deaths were his fault; he knows that," Annabeth returned.

"…It seems you are not the only one who still has truths to admit to," was all she said, before she disappeared.

Annabeth waited for another couple of seconds, before she heard the cracking. She jumped when she heard it at first, followed by a blood-curdling scream. Then, she heard muffled voices, sounding like an argument, both voices strained. Finally, they came sharply into focus with one promise.

"I won't let you take anyone else away from me again! Even if I have to tear Olympus down. Brick. By. Brick," the vow was more of a battle-cry, making the world around Annabeth burst to life. She was back in the mansion, with a small light floating in front of her, willing her to follow it. Annabeth recognized the voice instantly.

"Percy?" Annabeth raced after the light, hearing more of the argument.

"You…you're a monster…"

"I know…" Percy resigned himself to that fact.

"Know this, Titan Slayer; if you do this, then you will have lost, and I will have won."

A brief moment of hesitation as Annabeth pounded up the steps she ascended earlier with Percy, who then said, in a tone only befitting his self-titled monster, "I don't care."

The screams of his victim filled the hall, the echoes making it difficult to pinpoint where they were coming from. After testing a few corridors, she found the right way, and charged through. "Percy!" she called his name again. "Percy, stop!" She slammed against a door ahead of her, locked up tight. "No, no, no, no!" she banged against it again and again, but it wouldn't budge. "Percy! Let me in!"

Her calls were drowned out by the screams, piercing her skull like a drill. She _needed_ to get into that room. Annabeth stepped back, took a deep breath, and dashed. She ignored the growing pain in her ankle, and was about to ignore the searing burst of agony in the bad wrist. She shot into the doors as hard as she could, and fell through the doorway in a heap.

Shooting to her feet, Annabeth surveyed the area, but there wasn't much to see; a room of starlight, with two people in its center. Cut and bruised, Percy was standing, looking down on Nox, though Annabeth suspected it was her Greek form, Nyx, instead.

The goddess' body twisted and writhed at Percy's whim, cracking and breaking every few seconds. The son of Poseidon absolutely glowed with power, relishing the fact that he was the only person in the world who was capable of doing this, of controlling and torturing a god.

He grinned as he did it.

Annabeth froze, watching the horror as it played out. "He…he got past this…" she muttered, trying to convince herself that this wasn't real. "He…" She saved her words for his ears. Annabeth stomped forward, between Percy and Nyx, and grabbed his shoulders. "What the _hell_ have you been doing all of this time?!" she demanded. His concentration broke as his eyes began to focus on her.

"A-Annabeth?" the way he said her name; foreign and unfamiliar, like she was a stranger; he still acted like she wasn't _his_ Annabeth.

"Have you just been wallowing away in your own guilt and depression while I've been gone?" she continued berating him. "I thought we'd gotten over that."

"I-I-"

"I know I wasn't around, but Percy, you needed to talk to _someone_. There were people all around you that you could trust. Please tell me you trusted them. Please!"

Percy's eyes were wide, shocked and speechless, as if only just now realizing what he'd left himself become; a simple tool, an outlet for his guilt and rage. "…I couldn't…you're the only one…" he said finally, tears welling up in his eyes. "You were the only one…and you left me…"

Seeing him break down, Annabeth felt her own lip quivering. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, Percy crying into her chest. "You're _better_ than this, Percy," she said, trying to sound as genuine as possible, because he _needed_ to believe that. "You don't have to become a monster to fight them."

He shook his head. "No, I…I could never live up to…anything…I let them all die…"

"Percy…"

Nyx had disappeared when Annabeth entered, leaving only the two of them. Soon, instead of screams, Percy's own cries filled the hall.

Eventually, Annabeth remembered that they were in Tartarus, and that they needed to keep moving. Reluctantly, Percy allowed himself to be led out of the mansion, and back to one of the rivers which flowed to Tartarus' center. He was quiet the whole time, barely saying a single word in what must've been six hours. Though, since they were in Tartarus, it felt like triple that.

Percy really struggled to keep up after the first few minutes. He kept stumbling and falling. Sweat drenched his face with very little exertion, and his legs and arms shook visibly, like he was sick. " _Gods, that stupid stunt must've left him drained,"_ Annabeth thought, though she forced herself, and thus him, to keep moving. They couldn't stay here any longer. If they did, then who knows if they'd be able to stay sane?

Eventually, Annabeth decided to stop, feeling that they'd made sufficient distance between themselves and whatever monsters had been pursing them prior to entering the forest, assuming they even followed after they exited the mansion.

They went without a fire, it was already hot enough, and settled by sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, backs against a rock. They were relatively hidden in this position, with two sides being blocked by rocks, and a third onto accessible if you crawled. That left only one truly viable opening, which was in front of them, where they could see.

"…You want me to take first watch?" Annabeth wondered. Percy didn't answer, just like he didn't the past quarter of a day. "…You wanna talk about it?" He shook his head. "Percy…" she brought him closer, snuggling into his chest. "…You want to hear so/me good news? I got my memories back."

It took him a second, but Percy seemed to stir at that. "…For real?"

Annabeth nodded. "Yeah…you have your Brighteyes back now," she said, to which he squeezed her in relief. "I love you, Seaweed Brain."

"…I love you too…" he said back, though he still sounded distant. Annabeth would soon find out why.

"…Please, tell me what's wrong…nothing will get better by bottling it up inside," she claimed, to which he remained silent. Steeling herself, she said, "So do you not even trust _me_ anymore?"

It was an unfair question, no less than another guilt-trip really, but she needed to do something to get him out of his funk. He looked at her with pained eyes, and quickly relented.

"…I trust you…Nyx, she…she showed me my past," he said. Annabeth was about to say that that was what happened to her, but refrained. "She showed me…all of biggest moments, good and bad. All of the times kept fighting when all hope was lost…no matter how stupid it was…all it did was remind me that I've made too many mistakes…"

"…We both have," Annabeth said, but he shook his head.

"You didn't have lives on your hands," he argued, to which she couldn't say anything back. "…She made me fight myself, how I got progressively better through the years, got more arrogant…how I could never accept that I had limits…I _shouldn't_ have limits. I'm stronger than _gods_ ," his arms were shaking , though not from exhaustion/exertion, but from anger. She wrapped her arms around him to calm him down, and thankfully it worked. "I didn't tell you this, but…I have visions sometimes. Luke, before he died, showed me all of these different timelines, where things happened differently."

"You _did_ tell me that," she said, recalling how it was on the steps of Olympus when he said he'd killed her in some of them. She'd joked about it then, not wanting to ruin the victory, but she'd be lying is she said it hadn't freaked her out. She'd never even considered the possibility of him actually harming her, at least after they had the talk in the truck on their first quest. And then to hear that in such blunt terms…it was certainly unnerving.

"Well, sometimes when I sleep, I live through one of the timelines. Some of them are good, better than what we have, but some of them are a _lot_ worse," he explained. "I remember…back on our way to Rome, I dreamed of a timeline where I'd betrayed camp and everything went according to Kronos' plan. I…I'd slaughtered everyone at both camps, and forced the gods to kneel before me, and I…I killed my father in cold blood. I made sure to do it myself, so he'd reform and let me do it again, and again, and again…"

"By the gods…Percy, why didn't you tell me?" she questioned, but that didn't need much of an explanation; because she wasn't _his_ Annabeth at that point, she was the Roman's version of Annabeth. A fair argument, but it still hurt her in hindsight.

"…More recently, I dreamed about another quest to follow the Mark. Things had happened differently up until that point, but not too much. The main difference was the Luke wasn't brought back, Nico lived and not Bianca, and the Seven, from the prophecy, left New Rome all at once. They…they seemed so happy together. They didn't fight, not unless they were forcibly controlled…it made me so mad. _I_ wanted that. I wanted to be able to go up to anyone I saw and strike up a good conversation, one that didn't devolve into petty arguments. I wanted to be able to work and fight together…I didn't get any of that."

"Well…sure you did, I mean…you had me and Luke, right?"

"…" he shook his head. He knew he was _well_ beyond their levels at this point. Truthfully, he didn't really believe that any demigod of his time would be able to match him in power. Ever. "And then, when I beat my past selves, Nyx brought out those Seven. And I…I slaughtered them. Each and every one of them, I killed. And it felt _so_ good…" the way he said it had equal parts satisfaction and equal parts shame; an appropriate response. "The other Percy kept mocking me, saying he could end it all…I _really_ wanted to let him do it…but I stopped him."

"And you beat Nyx," Annabeth concluded. Percy nodded, though that wouldn't have been how he described it.

The two let the story sink in. Annabeth had no idea how to respond, so Percy did it for her. "…I'm not a hero…"

Gods, if that didn't hit Annabeth hard. She nearly burst into tears, hearing all of his sadness and built-up guilt in that one sentence.

"…I can't save everyone…" he continued, as if trying to convince his overworked brain that it was true, just so he could stop trying. "You know, ever since…it was either when Thalia became a Huntress, or when I beat Daedalus. Ever since one of them, I feel like I've been two separate people, and every day I go through the same motions as one of them, only to wake up the next day as the other."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's like…there's one of me trapped inside a room, the one that tries to save you and to be your hero. He's the me that failed. The other me is going about his day. He's the one that tries to save everyone else, and be the camp's hero. Come nighttime, the camp's hero busts into the room and kills the other one. Just then, the room closes back up, the camp's hero is trapped, and your hero wakes up for the next day. Every day, one of them fails. Every day, they repeat the same mistakes over and over and over again until they're left with no one…no one to care about them…"

"So…which one are you, during the day?" Annabeth asked hesitantly.

"…If all goes well? Whichever one is on the outside. But the _second_ things go wrong, I get trapped in that room, and I…and I can't breathe, like I'm drowning…And as the mistakes keep compounding on top of one another, I try and reach the edge of the room but it keeps getting further away; things become somehow vast and claustrophobic at the same time. It goes on until things burst, from some kind of relief. I used to be when we had sex, though back then, you were always there to…keep things under control. It was more like a soft reset than a violent rebound, you know? But then, when you left…when I had nothing. I just…Yes, to answer your question from before, I didn't trust anyone else. I kept it all bottled up until it all burst out in Rome…I'm sorry, Brighteyes."

"…Percy…" Annabeth snuggled closer. "You don't have to apologize. You…you talked about it. You admitted your problems. That's the first step to fixing them, right?"

Fixing…because he was broken. The gods had finally broken their toy; it only took a trip to Tartarus to do it.

"And if nothing else, I'm glad you told me…finally…it makes you seem…like you might be getting back to normal, after Nyx and all," Percy nodded. "I don't want to talk about this anymore," Annabeth said.

"Neither do I," Percy agreed. "…Annabeth, I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"You're a 'mom' and I'm a 'dad'," he said, eyes going wide from the revelation. "We have a kid."

"Too bad we aren't with them…gods, I hope they're okay…"

"We'll be with them soon," he assured her, which helped. Not only in that it calmed her down a bit, but because it showed that Percy was still himself. He was going to be alright. "But…another thought…when we see them…what are we gonna call them?"

Annabeth blinked. "…I didn't like any of the names we came up with before."

"I don't even remember them," Percy admitted. "…Wanna pass the time?"

"Sure. I'll start…um, assuming it's a boy…Odysseus."

"Let's not and say we did," Percy said, which got him a slap to the chest.

"I _like_ Odysseus."

"But as a name?"

"He was a hero!"

"But as a name?" Percy repeated.

"Ugh, fine. Just because _you've_ got a cute nickname…"

"Two," Percy pointed out; Percy and Seaweed Brain. "My turn, um…Kaladin."

"Excuse me?"

"Kaladin," Percy repeated.

"Yeah, no. What even is that, something Arabic?"

"It was in a fantasy novel I read," Percy explained. "Now _that_ guy was a hero. I mean…he sucked past the first book, but whatever."

"Still no," Annabeth said. "That'd be like naming him Aragorn or Daenerys or Harry Potter. It's just weird."

"And humiliating," Percy agreed. "Maybe after one of your grandparents?"

"Kronos?"

"Other side."

"Oh, um…gosh, that's embarrassing…"

"You don't know any of them, do you?"

"Whatever, I had a seven-year absence from my dad, during which they had their one and only family reunion down in Florida."

"Man, it must've been fun for him to explain where you were during that reunion," Percy chuckled.

"Uh huh. Idea time again; how about something normal, like Michael or Peter or something like that?"

"I don't know…I'd like it to have _some_ meaning."

"Alright…how about something unconventional…Ashley?"

"No."

"It could be Ash," she pointed out.

"You know I love a good Evil Dead reference, but no."

"Pft, you're no fun."

"Yeah, because we _both_ know I'm all business."

"Uh huh…your turn."

"Right…um…"

"Magnus."

"No."

"Tempus?"

"No Latin names," Percy requested, causing Annabeth to pout.

"How about Alexander?"

"After Alexander the Great?"

"Yeah, why not? He was a hero; great military leader and all."

Annabeth laughed lightly. "He died when he was 32 and left behind a broken Empire. Not happening."

"Fine, what have you got?"

"Hm…Caste?"

"After…?"

"Luke."

The two went silent. Luke Castellan, the traitor. "The camp wouldn't like that," Percy pointed out.

"To hell with them," Annabeth said bitterly. "They never knew him."

"…"

"So what do you think?" she questioned.

"I think…that that's a pretty badass-sounding name."

"Approved?"

"Approved. So…what if it's a girl?"

"Ooh, tough one…" Annabeth hesitated. She held his arm, his tattoo. "Sally?"

Percy took a deep breath, and released it as a sigh. "…No…too fresh…"

"Understood," Annabeth kissed his hand.

"I've always liked the name Lucy."

"…It all comes around to Luke again…" it was Annabeth's turn to sigh. "I like it…Lucy Jackson…"

"Or Caste Jackson…are they what we're going with?"

"Sound good to me," Annabeth said, before yawning; gods, they _have_ been talking for a while, haven't they? The two settled into a calm silence.

It wasn't a while before he spoke again, to the point where Annabeth almost fell asleep. "…I figured it out," he announced.

"Hm? Figured out what?" she mumbled.

"You asked me why I couldn't live without you. I figured it out."

"Oh, really?" she snuggled into his chest, only half-awake.

"Yeah…it's because you're the only person who can still see me as…me. Not as a monster, not as a hero, not as anything but Percy. Even in my darkest moments, even when I give into my anger…you can still see the good in me. No one else can do that but you."

"Mm…that's nice…now shh…the Brighteyes are closing now…" she muttered, and soon she was lightly snoring.

xxxXXXxxx

The next day, or what they had to assume was the next day, they set off, though neither of them felt particularly rejuvenated from the sleep. Annabeth still had injured limbs, though with Percy's help they're better than when she started. Percy was worse off; that stunt with bending the ichor really drained him, and he struggled to even start moving. If Percy had to put a number to it, he'd say he was at around ten percent of his full power.

So of course, when the Doors of Death came into view, they got exactly the sight that they wanted.

"So, good news; we found the Doors," Annabeth said. "Bad news…"

Percy looked out over the valley with dread filling his every bone. "It's guarded by thousands of monsters and a Titan."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! So, a couple announcements. First, I'm obviously done with _the House of Hades_ , but what you may not know is that I literally finished the last chapter of it about thirty seconds before uploading this document. I want it out there for you guys to read.**

 **Second, I mentioned this before, but I got my wisdom teeth removed on Friday, and half of my face is swollen and hurts, so...I don't care; I'm not going to be proofreading. If I feel like it, I might later, but don't count on it being done in a timely manner.**

 **Third, due to my general not feeling too hot, I won't be responding to PMs or reviews until I fully recover, just because I won't have the energy to do so, especially after just having finished binge-writing about 12000 words to get this done lol**

 **Fourth, just because I won't be responding doesn't mean I won't read and appreciate your reviews, so don't hesitate for a moment to tell me that my fix is awesome or awful. Both are greatly appreciated and welcome in equal measure.**

 **Fifth...you guys might hate me by the end of this fic lol**

 **Buh-bye!**

 **EDIT: Oh and one more thing; Percy's story about the two Percy's and one trapped in a room and stuff, that's based on a song. It's called "Goya no Machiawase" which roughly translates to "Midnight Meet-Up", and I'd recommend the version by Nathan Sharp. It's a really good song.**


	60. Alongside A Monster

"I have a big project today," Piper announced as she came onto the deck. The others that were there, everyone but Leo, gave her a curious glance; she usually didn't even talk once she left her room.

"…Really? I mean, we're just travelling," Jason claimed. "What could you do?"

"I've decided that I'm just going to up and ask for what I want," she claimed. "Because I already have too much to worry about to add ambiguity to my problems."

"Okay…" he held out the 'ay' part. "Look, Piper, I'm glad Luke's been helping you, to where you can talk like this, but…are you going to tell us what you're going to do?" She handed him a piece of paper, on which she'd written out a list beforehand. "…Get rid of the baby…" was the first item on the list.

Preemptively expecting the, "how?" question, Piper wrote, now that it was an order, 'Keep reading.'

"Get rid of the baby…clarify situation…practice Charmspeaking…train with swords, whoosh, with a drawing of you swinging New Side…" he put the list down, seeing Piper giving him a thumbs-up.

"I don't think things will work out how they did in your head," Luke mentioned, though he was giving her a smirk at the time.

'Wanna bet?'

"What do you mean 'get rid of the baby'?" Bianca wondered.

"You'll see."

"What's gotten into you?" Jason wondered. "You've never been this proactive before."

'Let's say I've gotten a lot off my chest these past few days,' she wrote.

And that was true; whereas before with Luke she'd just practice her Charmspeak, after Cupid, she felt she was able to share…well, everything with him; her secrets, her past, all of it, good and bad. The day prior, Luke had even started reciprocating, though he seemed less than thrilled to recount his life after he left Camp Half-Blood.

Giggling, Piper asked Festus to get her a big bowl of hot water, which was delivered to her thanks to the dragon. Once it was delivered, she splashed in the water and flipped the drachma into the resulting mist.

"Show me the god Zeus," she requested, to which both of the guys nearly dropped their fudge.

"What?!" Luke yelled. "Are you insane?!"

Piper shrugged, sharing Bianca's attitude of 'what's the big deal?', and waited. The Iris-Message that formed seemed hesitant somehow, like it knew that this was an awful idea. Still, within a few seconds, the god's image formed.

"Jason, Bianca, can you cover your ears?" Piper requested before she addressed the god, to which they obeyed. Then, she turned her attention to Zeus. "Hey there!" she greeted, all smiles. The god jumped, not expecting the interruption.

"What the…who in Hades' name are you?" he demanded, zeroing in on the Iris-Message. "And why, in _my_ name, did Iris put you through?"

"Hey, my name is Piper; I'm one of the demigods that are saving all of Olympus over in Greece! Before I go on, would you mind coming over here with your little posse?"

"My 'posse'? You do realize, mortal, that I should vaporize you just for that."

"But are you going to? I doubt you want to waste the effort."

Piper didn't know whether it was because Zeus wasn't as scary as she'd heard, or if it was because her Charmspeak was affecting him minutely, but the god considered it. With a wave of his hand, he disappeared from the message, and he, along with all of the others still at Olympus, appeared on the deck of the Argo II. Jason stood in their presence, hands falling from his ears to his side, one hand holding his Regalius. Bianca similarly dropped her hands as well.

Before, he might've kneeled, might've groveled at their feet. Now, he stood just as tall as them. Luke was the only one who seemed less than thrilled about their being here, not to mention he seemed a bit disturbed at their condition.

"Jeez, you look so…" Luke didn't even know what to say. He was actually surprised that none of them had attacked him, which was half the reason he was so freaked out at Piper's request. "Worn…what happened?"

Each of the gods that had appeared looked far more ragged than they would've liked, with major battle scars and even some broken bones, which Luke had considered impossible for a god, plaguing all of them to varying degrees. "You were unaware?" Hestia questioned. "Pride attacked your Camp Half-Blood. We were forced to defend it."

"No, that's not true, Pride…" Luke thought back, remembering that the Giant was, a.) in a shit mood when he attacked in Rome, and b.) was battle-damaged and fatigued when he did so. So then, he'd arrived from a stalemate against the Olympians? And they couldn't kill him outright? "How powerful is he?"

"Too powerful," Zeus claimed. "Do you have any more questions, Titan Host? You wonder why we don't attack you?"

"…" Luke chose not to answer.

"You are the glue; you are needed, as much as it pains us to admit as much," Athena claimed, before turning her attention to Jason. "But as for you…you've caused quite a stir in Olympus."

"I take it word has reached you about Eurus?" Jason questioned

"Indeed. It seems we now have a Titan Slayer _and_ a God Slayer," Zeus said.

"Perhaps the daughter of Hades will be the Giant Slayer?" Hestia mused.

"I'm fine with Ghost King, thanks," Bianca piped up. "And I think that goes to Luke anyway; he killed Gluttony."

"That was Kronos," Luke corrected.

Zeus nodded curtly, before stepping forward. He met eyes with Jason, the two sharing heights. Though, Zeus' presence was far stronger than the demigod's, eyes boring into him. "Kneel," he ordered. Jason met his gaze unflinchingly.

"I won't," he said resoundingly. "I would rather die."

"That can be easily arranged, Aduro."

"If you try," Jason stepped _closer_. "I will destroy you. If you call me that again, I'll do it anyway."

The two glared at each other for a moment; a silent stand-off. Finally, Zeus backed down with a scoff. "You might make a hero yet," he said. "Or what passes as one in these times."

"Can we not test egos, please?" Athena spoke up.

"Tch, _you're_ one to talk," Luke muttered, getting him a patented Athena-glare, one she shared with all of her children. Still, she didn't respond to his comment.

"We must make this quick; Pride could have sensed our absence from Olympus by now."

"Well, I don't think Pride will attack anytime soon," Piper mentioned, gesturing for Jason and Bianca to close their ears again. "He was pretty beat up too, after all. And anyway, I wanted to ask a couple of favors."

Demeter scoffed. "You expect us to help? Why?"

"Because if we fail over here, you're doomed," she said. It was a tough point to argue. Truth be told, if the Olympians had their way, they'd storm Pride's strongholds themselves, but as it was they'd likely be slaughtered by the other, uninjured Giants that guarded them. That left these demigods.

Hera stepped forward, seeming the most eager of them to help. "We cannot do much; as you can tell, despite my brothers' and sisters' boastful nature, we are far from our prime."

"First, we're carrying an infant," Piper explained.

"We're aware."

"Take it off our hands," she requested curtly.

Eyes turned to Artemis, who noticed immediately, stepping back. "No," she said.

"It was _your_ friend that birthed the child," Hestia mentioned.

"Not in a thousand years," she insisted.

Athena put a hand on her hip. "And you are the goddess of-"

"Childbirth, not…taking care of the filthy little things," a look of disgust came over her. Hera sighed.

"Then it falls to me, I suppose," the queen of the gods waved her hand, and the baby appeared, inside a ball of light. "Never fear; the child will not remember hertime with us; consider her put in stasis until she returns to her parent's arms."

"Great! And second, could you bring Percy and Annabeth out of Tartarus?"

"Impossible," Zeus said.

"In our states, it'd likely be impossible to teleport you back to America or even to somewhere as close as your destination in Epirus," Athena elaborated. "Not to mention, Tartarus is far stronger than any of us, even combined. And he doesn't let anyone get out that easily. If they escape, it will be via the Doors."

"Well, that's disappointing," Piper mentioned. "Um…jeez, what _can_ you do?"

"Not much…" Hera claimed, and none of the other gods argued that. It was a huge blow to their pride; that much was obvious.

"I've got something," Luke spoke up. "Information; we don't have the full situation over in America. The only thing we know so far is that the camps are at war. So then…what do you all know?"

Zeus was the one who answered. "Well, your camps _are_ in locked in combat, as was predicted by most of us."

"But that doesn't necessarily mean I was wrong," Hera spoke up, her voice defensive.

"All the same…each camp has a plan to eradicate the other within the next week or so. Come that time, I fear nothing will stop them from destroying the other. Should you have turned back at Rome, you might've been able to stop this. However, in that situation, the Doors would remain open, and Pride would have an endless army to destroy you all anyway."

"So…is there any hope to save them?" Piper asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

"There is," Hera said. "A child of Bellona and Apollo's successor soar across the Atlantic as we speak. They will meet you in Epirus to retrieve the Parthenos, saving you the trip."

Piper blinked; that could only really mean Winona and Reyna, but…they were supposed to be fighting…not to mention…

"How will they transport it?" Luke wondered aloud. "It's too big to carry…"

"They probably didn't know how big the artifact was," Piper pointed out. "Okay, then…is there any way you could give them a lift?" she asked the gods. "Surely you have some method of transportation we could borrow…preferably one that's not destroyed. Or maybe a servant or flying…thing, that could carry it back with them?"

The gods exchanged glances. Finally, Zeus nodded. "Should any of you survive the battle at Epirus, aid will have been sent your way."

"…Why not now?"

"Your help-in-question tends to wander; especially in my condition, it will take time to find him. Pegasus is a free spirit, but fear not, he will be there."

Piper nodded. "Okay, um…anything else?" she asked Luke. She asked the same of Jason and Bianca in sign and written language, but each shook their heads in turn. "Alright, I guess that's it. Thanks!"

Most of the gods rolled their eyes before disappearing, except Hera, who stayed behind just long enough to say, "You've all grown into fine heroes," before joining her family back on Olympus.

The demigods shuffled on their feet for a few seconds after they were left alone. "So…what now?" Luke wondered, turning to Jason, who shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted. "How about we ask the one who brought the noise?"

"Pft, don't ask me," Piper waved it off. "Just do whatever you were doing," she said, to which Jason immediately went back to training, as he'd been doing before she came out. She grimaced, realizing she forgot herself. Luke gave her a smirk as she left.

"So, Luke, what were you saying we should try today?" Jason wondered.

"Hm? Oh, I was saying how you're still slow as hell."

"…But I'm faster than you now."

"Well, yeah, after a giant build-up," Luke said. "Think about it; when you go up against Pride, chances are he won't let you build up power like that. You need instant speed, enough to at least match his. I'm betting you could even surpass him, as long as you get the trick down."

"What trick?"

"I don't know; let's figure that out."

The two began brainstorming ideas, ranging from simply continuing to push Jason's flying to its limits, to an altered variation of Bianca's shadow travel technique, but they didn't work out at all.

"Argh, this is getting us nowhere!" Jason claimed. "Maybe we should just sleep on it and just focus on wind today, huh?"

"Now, hang on…" Luke crossed his arms, expression pensive. "…I have an idea, but I don't know if it'll work or not."

"…Well, anything's worth trying," Jason said. "What have you got?"

"When you shot Eurus with that first beam of light-"

"It was still lightning."

"Whatever. It happened so fast; how'd you move that fast then?"

Jason thought back. "I just…kinda did it. It felt like all of the energy I'd built up was forced to my arm, and I guess it must've made my arm move faster or something? Well, obviously not it didn't just strengthen my arm otherwise I would've popped my shoulder out of it's-"

"Anyway, that's interesting…so the energy in your body must've enhanced your brain signals, making you move faster…or something. You can tell I'm not a scientist."

"Heh, yeah I can tell. But I kind of get what you're saying."

"Yeah; you could maybe…just use the energy you gain from absorbing the lightning to move at super-speed."

"Sounds kinda cheesy, but let's give it a shot."

"Hey!"

They were interrupted as a certain impish demigod stormed out onto the deck. "So, the recluse finally emerges from his cave," Luke greeted the son of Hephaestus. "To what do we owe this honor, sir?"

"Luke, shut up," Jason ordered. Though he got a slightly surprised look, Jason was obeyed. "We stopped because it wouldn't be safe or subtle for me to practice lightning while we're moving. We'll be moving at night and tomorrow only. For today, we're staying."

"And who said we could do that?"

"I did, as the leader of the quest," Jason announced.

"You? The leader? After the performance you've given us thus far?" Leo mocked. "I've heard you talking; you wanted _me_ to take over, didn't you?"

"I did, but that wasn't the right decision," Jason said, trying to remain professional while Leo quickly veered off toward anger.

"And you think you can just take it back? No way; Festus, get us moving!"

"Festus, don't do a thing," Jason countered. The dragon creaked and whirred in confusion. "You don't decide when we move, Leo. You don't decide anything. Period. I admit that I caused most of our problem in Rome, and I'm perfectly willing to take responsibility for that, and if it makes you feel any better, I'll take responsibility for Grover's death as well. He went with you under my orders and paid the price for it."

"No, don't try and pull that card on me. If you're so worried about taking responsibility, then you should damn well know that we need to get to the Doors as fast as possible!"

"I don't think he's backing down," Bianca mentioned.

"You're damn right I'm not," Leo growled. "We're leaving, Festus-"

"We're staying!" Jason raised his voice. With his powers, it sounded about five times louder than it normally would. Leo stepped back a bit from it. "Leo, I'm trying to be rational here."

"No, you're being a coward, just like you've been the past two weeks!"

"Leo…" Jason sighed. "Fine. Roman law states that if a subordinate wishes to challenge their superior officer, then they're allowed a trial by combat. If you want to truly take my place as the leader of this quest, then you'll have to defeat me."

"Ha! Like that will be hard," Leo boasted, flexing his metal arm. "You ready?"

Jason took a deep breath. Truthfully, he wasn't sure if he could replicate the same power he'd used against Eurus. He could only try, and see what would happen. Leo lit himself ablaze, flames growing much larger and hotter than anything he'd displayed before; he'd been practicing. If Jason hadn't rapidly improved over the past few days, he might've been intimidated.

Jason fought back with all of his willpower not to mentally or verbally insult Leo because he was a Greek. It was especially hard now, after he'd fully accepted his Roman aspects; his distrust of his friends had spiked to dangerous levels since Eurus. Thankfully, he was able to force them down; chalk it up to his newfound control.

"Stand back," he advised the others, to which they obliged. "Leo, this is your final warning."

"Are you trying to scare me? Afraid I'll kick your ass when we fight? I heard about your lightning, and it doesn't scare me!"

"…It should," Jason said sadly. Taking another deep breath and wanting to take it slow (a luxury he didn't have the first time he'd done this), Jason felt the air around him heat up. He felt the heat rise from him to the clouds above. Soon, he felt a tug at his gut, and he acted on it. He flexed his hands, and lightning arced out of the sky and straight onto him. Jason willed the lightning into his own body, feeling it course through his veins and power his muscles.

His body glowed, releasing small sparks and flecks of light after the initial light of the bolt faded. Leo was taken about at the sheer power that was on display, the power of a God Slayer. He hesitated, his flames flickering with doubt.

"Well? I'm waiting," Jason said.

"You…y-you think I'm afraid of you?!" Leo's shocked expression turned fierce once again, though it seemed forced. "I'm not! I'm not afraid!"

"Leo, it's alright to be scared," Jason said, trying to sound somewhat soothing to offset how dangerous he was at the moment. "I'm sure Grover was scared when he-"

"No, shut up!" Leo yelled. "I'm going to end this, and then you're all going to listen to me!"

Another sigh from Jason. "…Then come on."

Leo gritted his teeth, obviously apprehensive about the encounter, though he refused to voice it. He focused all of his fire into his metal arm, using it to amplify the inevitable blast. Leo ran toward his opponent, determined to hit him at close range with everything he had. As Leo drew close, Jason exerted a bit of his own power, sending heat and energy pulsing out from where he was standing. To Leo, and to Luke and Bianca, it felt as if Jason's very soul was reaching out and warding off enemies. Forcibly.

Leo stopped in his tracks, flames fizzling out briefly. After getting over his initial shock, the son of Hephaestus reignited both his fire and his desire to win. In response, Jason exerted more of his power, making sparks not only fly out a bit farther, but arc onto Leo's body. While harmless, the sensation was entirely foreign, and more importantly, dangerous.

"Leo…please just stop…" Jason pleaded one last time. "I don't want to do this, but if you'd have me command you through fear, then so be it."

"I said I'm not afraid!" Leo snapped, stepping closer. He was far less sure of himself than before, opting to inch ever closer rather than run straight at him. "I'm not!"

"You know what the problem with demigods is? We lie to ourselves to make us feel better."

"No, you're wrong!"

"Leo…" a third sigh released itself. Jason put up his hand, felt energy course through it, and released a bolt of light/lightning. To the onlooker, they were interchangeable. It shot right past Leo's head, but the blast was felt in a different way. Leo stumbled backward, once again shocked (no pun intended) at Jason's newfound power. How could he have gotten so much stronger in so little time? It was impossible, he was just a Roman. He wasn't…he couldn't have possibly…

Finally, Leo had had enough. He built up his power and charged, aiming for the finishing blow as his first. He ran forward, getting dangerously close to Jason. The son of Jupiter let out one last burst of power, forcibly stopping the younger boy. Jason raised his arm to shoot Leo with a bolt, as the boy made to blast Jason at the same time. Jason knew whose attack would go off first.

Leo never attacked, though it wasn't because Jason did so first. Instead, all of his flames, his will to fight, fizzled out as if doused by a torrent. He dropped to his hands and knees, tears tumbling down his cheeks and to the wooden deck.

"I…I can't…" was his admission. Jason figured it could've been either from fear or his conscious getting the better of him. He hoped it was the latter, but he couldn't be sure. Jason released his own energy, letting the lightning disperse back into the air with a wave of his hand.

He stepped toward Leo, kneeled in front of him, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Leo…I promise you that whoever killed Grover will face punishment; your punishment. These past few weeks, you've let your desire for revenge cloud your judgement. I can sympathize. When Tempus was killed, I wanted nothing more than to kill the Titan who'd killed her. But Leo, we have much bigger problems to worry about. You want to be a hero, right? A hero puts everyone else's needs before their own. The Doors have to close, and Pride has to be stopped. If we run into that shapeshifter during that, then you have my full permission to take care of it. But if not, and until then, I _need_ you to listen to me. I need your mind, and I need your fire. Please."

Leo managed a nod as he sobbed at his own weakness. It took the boy a long time to recover, a good half an hour. At that point, Jason asked Bianca to escort him back his room to rest; the boy deserved that much.

But with that, Jason and Luke resumed their lesson. "So, we were talking about trying to move faster?" the son of Jupiter recalled.

"Yeah, but…you still wanna train? After that?"

"Yeah, why not?" Jason asked. When Luke still seemed a bit unsure, Jason clarified. "It's my duty to be ready for whatever lies ahead. I want to be prepared; I _have_ to be prepared, and I will be. Now, can we continue, or would you prefer I do it alone?"

Luke blinked, finding this confidence strangely alluring, even as Jason was breathing pretty heavily from his little stunt. Luke held up his hands. "Alright, sparkster, let's not get hasty, or testy. You look a bit tired. Let's just take five and get some nectar in you, huh?"

Jason's jaw tightened; he was obviously against the idea of taking a break, but he nodded. The two took a trip down to the sick bay, now disturbingly quiet without the baby, grabbed the godly drink, and went back up to the deck.

Luke poured them both a goblet and held his up. "To the most badass lightning boy."

"To the man who taught him," Jason returned as they clanked their goblets and drank a bit. "Ah…tastes like New Rome chai tea latte."

"Ooh, yeah; Reyna drank that _a lot_ during my time there."

"Well, you can probably thank me for that. I got her hooked; figured it was better than booze, after the incident during the war games…"

"I thought she couldn't get drunk."

Jason laughed. "Yeah well…she's petulant, to a fault. She'd act like she was hammered just to get on my nerves, and to have an excuse to cause some chaos. Nearly lost her position a few times, but I smoothed it over with Tempus."

"I'm guessing this is before she made praetor?" Luke asked, to which Jason nodded. "You know, she never really shared much about her past. Suppose it's natural, I was an outsider, and she doesn't trust outsiders. Always wondered what she went through to become how she is, you know?"

"Something about a witch and an island; she only ever told me when she was drunk and half of the words were gibberish."

"You don't know? Shocking; I'd have thought, if anyone did, it'd be you."

"Yeah well…she was always pretty closed off with her emotions. She's loud and boisterous, but that's just to ward off people who might hurt her."

"A defense mechanism."

"You two are similar like that," Jason mentioned, getting a confused and somewhat defensive look in response, especially as he elaborated. "You tend to want to deal with other people's problems, and not your own. It's fine; it's easier that way. But…it _does_ sometimes make it seem like you don't really ever want to get close to any of us, you know?"

Luke's gaze shifted to the horizon as they sipped their nectar. "…You're not wrong," he admitted. "The thing is…" the Titan Lord's host felt a lump of dread well up in his chest. "I know I'm not going to survive this quest. I was never even meant to be a part of it. I doubt even the Fates put me into their plan, into their prophecies…so yeah, I didn't really want to get close to any of you. Of course, that plan worked out _brilliantly_ ," he spat, though in a playful manner, making Jason chuckle. "I wish I could live forever, you know? But…time is short; that was clear from the beginning. I didn't want to go back to Camp Half-Blood. I wanted to go to a place where the gods would ignore me. I wanted to go to a place where no one knew me or the horrors I've seen or the crimes I've committed."

"…Why? You're all about honor, right? Wouldn't you want to make it up to everyone?"

"Honor is my _flaw_ , Jason. For all I knew, if I'd have gone back, done the honorable thing and turned myself into the campers and the Olympians, then my end would've been right there, and I wouldn't have been able to do…anything, whether I wanted to or not. I learned to temper it, after it essentially caused the Titan War single-handedly. I went to Camp Jupiter and did what I could there. And that was fine by me. But then…Annabeth came…and Reyna found out who I was…and my hand was forced against Pride. I _had_ to protect them, to use Kronos' power. And from there, I did everything I didn't want to do. I met Percy again, I joined this quest, I started helping all of you…and I _am_ thankful that I've lasted long enough to help you. I want you to know that."

"But you're thinking that leaving us all behind will be that much harder now," Jason guessed. Luke nodded. "…I don't have words of comfort, Luke. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. There's nothing to say," Luke claimed. He took a moment to compose himself. "…And I was lying to you, just now. I didn't want to go to Camp Half-Blood, but it wasn't to temper my honor. It was…because I was afraid…of what they'd think. I had this idea in my head that they'd all hate me, and I guess that was true. But if it wasn't, and I was accepted back…that'd be even worse than death for me. I wouldn't have been punished for my actions. It's the same thing with Percy. I'm…I'm glad he was able to forgive me, but…a-anyway, same with my father."

"You met your father?"

Luke nodded. "In Venice. He was there, and we talked a bit. And I was such an ass…gods, but I should've thought a bit more before I spoke. I'm afraid I came off as bitter. My dad, he…he came to me, to give me his apology and acceptance, right before I died the first time. I was…afraid that he might take it back, now that I was back, you know? And now that Kronos is acting all…weird, to put it mildly, I just…gods, I don't know what to think. It's a miracle I'm even functional right now, honestly."

Jason saw Luke's tears at that. They two men were silent as they fell.

"You know what I think we're both struggling with here? We're similar, you and I. Can we agree about that?" Luke nodded. "I don't think we know how to rationalize how bad people, at least we perceive them to be bad in that they've done horrible things to other people, can do good or be good in certain aspects or with some development."

"That's…that's a good way of putting it."

Jason elaborated. "Like with Percy. He's…volatile, confrontational, vicious, cruel, and erratic. It drives me up the wall and I don't understand it; never have. But you know what I think I want to do? You know what I should do?"

"What?"

Jason took a deep breath. "I want to get inside his head, figure out exactly how and why his brain works the way it does. Then, when all of this is over, and going ten, twenty years down the line, I want to be able to sit down with him in the fields of New Rome and just…talk. As a friend, a close one, where we watch our children play together in front of us, as we reminisce about how stupid we were to fight all the time…I guess a good way of putting it is…I want to understand Percy. I want to understand the monster I stand alongside in this war."

The two let that sink in. Finally, Luke said, "It's really not fair how fast you can grow," before they both stood. "Alright, we need to resume the lesson or you'll overtake me in literally everything. Where were we?"

"We were…at the part where we try to covert my stored energy into movement," Jason recalled. "And I was about to leave you behind."

"As if you'd be anywhere without me. Alright, if you're still up to it after that, call another bolt of lightning," Luke ordered, to which Jason did so. "Okay…oh gods…this is _so_ not gonna work…" he muttered to himself. "Alright, try, uh…try absorbing the energy and putting it into your legs," Jason tried to will the energy to that certain spot, but as he did, it felt as if it might threaten to burst out into a powerful beam, like when he attacked. Obviously, he didn't want that. After a few attempts to get it under control, he gave up. "Any luck?"

Jason shook his head. "It's trying to get out of control again. And if it's going to come from my feet, I don't want that."

"Right, let's _not_ blast two holes through the ship, shall we? Alright, um…try your whole body."

"That sounds dangerous," Jason mentioned.

"That it does, but it's all I've got. If it doesn't work, we don't have to try it again, but…"

"Right…anything is worth trying…anything to give me an edge," Jason muttered. He closed his eyes.

"Try and imagine your body as a cup or a bottle. Imagine you're filling it with water, and when it's full, that's when you can't hold any more energy."

"…Okay…"

"Imagine when the bottle tips at all, some water spills out. You need to maintain a perfect balance to make this work. Once it's full…" Luke hesitated, feeling the air around them heat up.

"What was that?"

He shook his head. "I-I said, when it's full, that's when you need to move. Try not to think about anything other than walking from one end of the Argo to the other. Try that."

Jason didn't even make it that far. It became pretty obvious that it wasn't going to work. The air crackled with sparks; all from Jason's…let's call it an aura; fitting since the word means breeze or breath in Ancient Greek.

"Jason," Luke tried to get him out of this state. The boy was deep into his own subconscious; he was too good at slipping into meditation. "Jason!" Luke called a bit louder, enough to catch the boy's attention.

His eyes flung open as the full weight of his power collapsed into itself. Jason leapt up into the air with all of his might, going much farther than he should have given that he wasn't using his wind, and all of the built-up energy released a spherical burst of lightning. Thankfully, the Argo was undamaged. Well, mostly.

Jason caught himself in the air. "Oh, man!" he explained. "I burnt the flag!"

"Is that…a bad thing?" Luke wondered from below. Jason flew to it and took it off, landing back down. "Cool, now there's a hole in one of the wings."

The flag, which was representative of the Greeks' will to fight so long as their friends fought with them, symbolized by the outstretched wings of Percy's personal Pegasus, Agro. One of his wings was burned now.

"Not cool; we worked really hard on this back at camp…" Jason complained.

"Okay then, idea. The Legion's flag is white wings, right?"

"Symbolic of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, and his sacred animal, the eagle."

"Okay then…cut out one of the wings entirely. Then you'll have one black and one white…kind of…"

"Well…it's better than just having it damaged," Jason admitted, doing the deed with his Regalius before putting the flag back up. " _It doesn't look half bad,"_ he thought to himself before landing to discuss what'd happened. "So…yeah, that didn't work."

"Yeah, I'll say…tell you what. Let's not focus on that right now."

"But I want to keep going with it."

"Yeah, and you can that when I'm not around to get potentially vaporized. For now…I want to see something. I want to see you make lightning."

"What?"

"Since Eurus, have you tried just making lightning? You seem to have gotten over your mental block, so I'm curious as to whether it fixed this."

Jason looked at his hand. "I haven't tried it, but…" doubt clouded his eyes. "…I don't think this is a good idea."

"Neither do I, but we need to check off all of the boxes here. Come on; just one try."

Taking a deep breath, Jason nodded. "One try."

He held out his hand, grabbed his wrist with his other, and started pumping energy into his palm. Surprisingly, it didn't take much to make the spark appear, probably ten times less than the last time. Not only that, but when he willed the lightning to form and be contained in his hand, it obeyed, and did so readily.

"Whoa…it's working…"

"Never doubt the power of the mind, young pupil," Luke crossed his arms. Jason closed his fist and the spark fizzled out. "Alright, I'm going to clock out so you can practice the dangerous stuff, and-"

Jason wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, he stepped forward and tensed up. In a few seconds, his body flashed with light, and then lightning was arcing all around him, staying contained (which is a plus). The power output was considerably less than when he called down a bolt, but in its raw power, it easily out-paced Jason's wind, assuming he was using the same amount of power to generate both. This was the power he possessed whenever he'd become enraged, whenever his vision turned white and he couldn't really remember what happened. And now it was his. It was Jason's own will that controlled it, not any kind of untamed emotion. "This…this is incredible!"

"Jeez, you must've had _some_ block," Luke mentioned. "But you're past it now. Don't ever forget that."

Jason nodded as he willed the power away. Luke left him, and Jason went to work, though he wasn't able to move at the speed of light, as was his goal. Instead, Jason's day eventually morphed into something akin to his day of nonstop flight training, only with his lightning. While he didn't see a power increase of that same magnitude, not even close, Jason felt he could be satisfied with the day's work given how new and stimulating just being in control felt when it came to this aspect of his powers.

Luke, meanwhile, went to have a day with Piper. Now that she freed from the burden of the baby, they had much more time to practice her Charmspeak and swordplay. Yes, swordplay; Luke willingly picked up a weapon. Now that Jason was more or less at Percy's level, he didn't feel too bad about potentially losing control. As bad as that sounded, Luke felt no particularly strong reaction from Kronos, even after he began sparring with Piper.

The daughter of Aphrodite impressed Luke with her skills. By his metric, she was around the same skill level that Percy was at when he'd defeated Daedalus, and she'd only just started. Just goes to show how good, and how strict, Percy was as a teacher.

After their sparring, which went well into the night, they enjoyed another lovely night. Platonic though it was, Luke couldn't describe how much relief he felt from the sex. It wasn't as if he was inexperienced; he'd, ah, courted many girls back at Camp Half-Blood, including a short fling with Silena Beauregard around the time he turned eighteen, and she was…probably sixteen? It got difficult to remember after a while. Not only that, but many of the rogue demigods wished to get in bed with him, and at his lowest points when he had these primal desires for intimacy and affection, he'd given in.

On that gratuitous tangent, the point is that he wasn't so cocky as to claim he was a saint in this aspect of life, and thus readily accepted a willing partner like Piper, who herself seemed to be easily able to tell how to pleasure the both of them.

Once it ended, though, and Piper's head was resting on his arm, curled around her body in bed, and Luke drifted off to sleep, he was met with his first greeting from Kronos in a while. And of course, even the Lord of the Titans was not above petty mockery.

" **I must say, boy, that you've made an excellent choice in partner,** " Kronos claimed.

"Huh," Luke grunted in response. He'd gotten into a somewhat good place; he didn't need to be pushed around by this thing.

" **Though I myself might have tried to woo the Ghost King; she would make perhaps more fearsome offspring than the love child.** "

"Well, good thing I'm not doing it for 'offspring'. I don't even know if I can impregnate women anymore."

" **Indeed; your body is merely a construction of your soul. Technically, it is neither my body nor yours, but a vessel.** "

"Couldn't the same be said of all bodies?" Luke questioned, to which Kronos smirked.

" **You catch on fast, boy.** "

"…I want to ask you a question," Luke said, and Kronos raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that you're good?"

Kronos blinked, not expecting something like that. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. " **By your mortal standards, it's difficult to gauge. Most would say no; I murdered my father, ate my children, and killed many mortals in an attempt to usurp the rule of the world."**

"But recently…you've changed. In your own twisted way, you've been trying to help Jason," Luke claimed. Kronos didn't respond. "I hope you aren't about to say that it was all so you could use him. Surely you know our fate?"

" **I do,** " Kronos said. " **And no, it wasn't for my own gain. If this world does not need me anymore, then it's far past time to accept that and move on. Now, perhaps with your influence, I can rest easy knowing that mine is now a cautionary tale, teaching one not to toy with fate and destiny.** "

Luke nodded, but didn't say anything, opting instead to take in the information.

" **What brought about this interest, boy?** "

"…I want to understand the monster that I walk alongside. And I don't want to fight you anymore."

Kronos laughed at that. " **Taking advice from the Roman, are you now? Fine then. Let us understand each other.** "

"…" he chuckled. "…Truthfully? Now that you're willing, I don't know what to ask or what to say."

" **Unsurprising,** " Kronos said. " **So then, how about I comment upon your training methods.** "

"Too easy on him?" the son of Hermes guessed.

" **So you** _ **do**_ **know me to a degree,** " Kronos said. " **If it were up to me, the God Slayer would work day in and day out until he was the pinnacle of your species. For now though, I'll admit that your training will suffice.** "

"Glad to know I have your approval," Luke said sarcastically. "So, I want to pose another question."

" **Go right ahead.** "

"…Do you think the world should ever forgive me, for what I've done?" Kronos' form tensed, his jaw tightened, and his gaze became hard. "You said it yourself; I'm a monster. Why should the world forgive a monster?"

"… **I do believe the world should forgive you, and for one reason. It was my word that coerced you into doing my bidding. Your actions and thoughts were not entirely your own, thus you cannot entirely be blamed for the events that transpired. Would you not agree?** "

"I wouldn't," Luke said. "Blame it on my hamartia, but I knew exactly what I was doing and its consequences. I chose that path. Not to mention, it would really be blamed on the state of the world at that time. You weren't given any respite from your own dark thoughts for millennia, so who's to say that was the real you either?"

" **You cannot possibly imply my innocence, boy.** "

"I do, at least partially. The gods were pompous and arrogant and detached from their children's lives. We may not have won the war, but we _did_ change that. That's what I wanted. You wanted power, and _we_ were denied that. I'm happy with the compromise. Are you?"

" **I believe it's an irrelevant question; your lives don't truly matter to me. I am a Titan. You are mortals.** "

"The Titans were brought down to our level when Percy killed Atlas," Luke argued, to which Kronos once again set his jaw. "…You know, somewhere deep down, I still think I was right to abandon Olympus. I don't regret it anymore, and I don't know why I don't, but…maybe it's that I've come to realize…that you really did want what you thought was best for the world, didn't you?"

"…"

"You thought the gods were unfit to rule, which is what you told me. You wanted to make the world a better place and got lost in the power trip-"

" **Enough!** " Kronos snapped. " **What I said to you in those years were sweet nothings. By mortals standards,** _ **I**_ **am a monster, through and through. Nothing will change that; immortals don't change.** "

"…You don't believe that," Luke said. "If you did, then that would mean you don't think the gods changed for the better. And as much as you despise them, I know you don't think that. The gods have changed, and so have you."

" **You haven't the faintest idea as to what you're talking about.** "

"Don't I? Kronos, we can do so much good, but I can't if you keep lying to yourself! You worked to help Jason through his problems. Now, you need to help me protect them, until our time comes. That way, when it does…we can be happy with what we've done," Luke held out his hand as if to shake on a deal.

Kronos eyes his hand, gaze shifting from Luke's eyes to his outstretched palm. Finally, he chuckled. " **How eternally embarrassing…to have been disarmed by a mere boy,** " he muttered. Finally, he took Luke's hand, and the two started glowing. " **Very well. Let us truly become one. One body, one power, and one purpose; to protect those who have given us a chance at redemption.** "

"Let's take the honorable path," Luke agreed, feeling a warmth overpower him as his and Kronos's souls fully fused once again.

xxxXXXxxx

Envy sat in the windowsill that served at the only true entrance into the Necromanteion. She had done her best not to think at all as she waited. She wanted to just do her duty and forget that she remembered everything. She remembered Camp Jupiter, she remembered being a praetor, and she remembered Jason and Reyna. She figured the trigger for her memories to reawaken was Jason and his lightning; the thing that had shocked her into a three-day coma in the past.

There were two 'worst' parts to her situation. The first was that she remembered how and why Pride saved her from death, and the subsequent torture she'd endured as he slowly plucked away her memories, one by one until she was left with nothing. It left her with an overwhelming anger at Pride, but it was always quickly swallowed down by her subordination, the kind of obedience drilled into her head, so that if she disobeyed, she'd face mental repercussions for weeks. Gods, but she hoped someone would hit her in the head hard enough to rid her of that.

The second worst part was the knowledge that she was destroying her former home in attempting to stop these demigods. That one explained itself, but she couldn't just run away. Pride would find her; he still needed her for his endgame, his ritual. That was, in truth, her sole purpose. He didn't really need the demigods dead, and he didn't need Jason alive, though both would've been bonuses. So long as his endgame went according to plan, Pride didn't need anything or anyone.

And for that endgame to work, he needed the blood of two living, powerful Greek demigods, and the ones he chose were the Titan Slayer and his lover, made convenient by the fact that they would be captured half-dead once they reached the Doors of Death on the Tartarus side. Pasiphae would make sure of that, and Sloth would…watch.

Envy got an idea into her head, and opened her notebook to an empty page.

"Sloth

One of two artificial Giants made by Pride to serve in his endeavors to destroy the gods, Sloth was made as a test of sorts. As Pride tested his abilities to make life and bestow power, he created an empty husk, appearing as a mass of darkness. Sloth only has one ability and it is straightforward and deadly. His body, if it could even be called one, is impervious to damage under normal circumstances and with one exception. It would take the combination of power from mortal and immortal to pierce and damage him. The exception takes place when he attacks. Though he doesn't move in the conventional sense, he does strike. Aside from a tendril-like attack to keep enemies focused on him, he takes punishment from his enemies, and releases it as his own blasts of power, a power he gained from Pride, one he procured from the children of Nemesis. While he can technically be damaged otherwise if the special circumstance is met, it's only during his attack that he could conceivably be killed, and this is when his body is at its most vulnerable.

Strengths: ultimate guard. It's difficult to imagine anyone getting past Sloth, hence why he was chosen to guard the Doors of Death to prevent unwanted monsters from coming out, and unwanted demigods from trying to close it. Due to his method of creation, Sloth is single-minded in his endeavors, making him deadly focused when someone threatens his post.

Weaknesses: his nature. Sloth will fight until the death to defend his position, and that can be used to defeat it. No matter how many enemies attack or threaten him, Sloth will continue to fight, even if their total power exceeds his own.

General Personality traits include: none of note. Single-minded nature leaves little room for personality.

Suggested strategy of defeat: overpowering. If possible, bring many powerful demigods, and strike right at Sloth attacks. So long as your power output exceeds Sloth's own, he can do nothing to stop his demise. Assuming one can manage, also bring a god or two to take advantage of his other weakness.

Overall chance of being killed during Giant War: 6/10. Difficult to gauge, as everything will be determined in a single encounter rather than multiple. Still, it's more likely than not that the demigods will be able to figure out Sloth's weakness and will make to exploit it. As for whether they will do this without casualties, especially with Pasiphae to aid him, and Envy to throw a wrench into things before they even make it to the Doors…that is left for the Fates to decide.

Though, they might be able to do so should this paper 'slip' and reveal his weakness instead. But Envy would never be so careless as to allow something like that. Envy is Pride's most loyal servant."

Envy found herself smiling, though cried at the same time; a subconscious sadness came over her as thoughts of disobeying her master plagued her thoughts. She literally thought her heart might break as she ripped the paper from the notebook, stuck it back in, and closed the book. Should they defeat her, Envy would let the paper slip, though as well, she also ripped out her own entry and crumpled it up; she figured she shouldn't cloud their judgement due to her identity.

With any luck, that means no one will have to die.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I guess it's my own fate to forever go back on what I say. I ended up proofreading most of this chapter, except for the end because I figured it was good enough.**

 **So, a few things going on this time; a lot of logistical stuff that the crew was taking care of. Don't worry, just because some initiative and major events happened doesn't mean the characters are done growing. Jason is still on his way, Leo and Piper both have big moments coming up, but I needed to crew to be more cohesive going into the assault on the House of Hades.**

 **Speaking of, next time, were going there and you can consider tomorrow the start of the finale. It goes until chapter 64, and the reason I broke it up is because it would've ended up being about 20000 words or more, and I wasn't about to dump that on you guys all in one day; I need to have some respect for your time. Don't worry, though, as we're going to be getting hella revelations and character moments and lore events with each one, starting tomorrow.**

 **Get hype!**


	61. Loved One's Expectations

"I think we're here!" Leo called from above. The sound was like arsenic to the demigod's ears; allowing themselves to it was like a call for death. The son of Hephaestus let out a call for Piper and Bianca, who were in their rooms, to come up. Jason and Luke, who had been training, immediately stopped and went to the railing to see.

"Strange, I thought it'd be…" Luke muttered as they got the edge. "Shorter."

Before them was an impossibly tall tower, especially for the time it must've been constructed, it seemed to be made of marble, which is also impossible. It had very few ornaments; a few balconies, but those balconies didn't even seem to have doors/windows leading out to them. It was just a column of marble, only that wasn't entirely true.

As they drew closer, they saw the _true_ Necromanteion emerge from the Mist. The real House was several fathoms larger than it had first appeared, sporting a similarly blank design, though it kept the window-less balconies all the way up to the top, where it had a brief spire. The entire structure was black, seeming to be made out of the same material as Bianca's sword, or at least spray-painted to look that way, if nothing else.

"So… _someone_ must've come and added onto this, because this definitely isn't a Greek design," Luke mentioned.

"Or Roman; it looks more medieval or…Isengard-y."

"Where's that?" Leo wondered.

"Somewhere over in Europe, I promise," Luke said and Piper and Bianca joined them.

"By the gods…" Piper was put into awe at the structure; as were the rest of them.

"Apparently, Hades ordered his House to be continually added onto," Bianca explained. "He wanted a direct link between the heavens and his home. It was supposed to go down to his palace in the Underworld too, but Hephaestus wasn't allowed to go down there as per Zeus' instructions."

"So…he wanted a space elevator?" Leo translated.

"Essentially. After the gods left the Ancient Lands, though, construction stopped."

"Um…so why doesn't it have a door?" Luke pointed down to the ground, revealing no entrance. Even as Festus sailed them around the entire thing, no entrance was found anywhere near the ground. The only way inside that they could see was a window near its top.

"Gods can teleport; they don't need doors," Bianca said.

"More importantly, am I the only one seeing an army of monsters down there?" Leo pointed downward, and sure enough a massive force of all shapes and variety of monsters wait for them on the ground. "Okay, guys, we're got to-" he made to run back up and prepare the Argo for battle, but Jason caught his arm.

"Take another look," the Roman advised. "They're not attacking."

And it was disturbing how quiet everything was when the monsters didn't attack. Drawing close, there wasn't any shifting on their feet, no breathing, no movement at all, as if they'd all been frozen into statues by Medusa. "Okay…so…window?"

All eyes turned to Jason. This was his chance to act on his change. He wouldn't be indecisive anymore, and he wouldn't be weak. They were going to storm in there and accomplish their goal, no matter the trouble or stumbling blocks that their enemies put in front of them.

"I don't think we have much of another choice," Jason agreed. "We should hurry. Let's not leave the Argo in a lurch; we can park it over that hill. Leo, you can fly yourself and I can carry the rest."

With some nods of agreement, Leo returned to the wheel, steered them where Jason had specified. Leo burst up and waited as the other crowded around Jason. He willed the wind to him, and lifted everyone up, though strained to do so. He'd improved a lot with his wind, though admittedly not much after that initial burst of growth when he first began training. Still, demigods were heavy as Hades from their inherent muscle.

In any case, he carried them, and the five made their way back toward the House and to the window. Leo hovered toward it, having gained a surprising amount of stability and control over his pseudo-rocket-powered flight in the short time he'd had it. "See anything?" Jason asked.

"Nope; completely dark," Leo relayed. "I'll go first, see if anything eats me," he said before going into the tower. "Nothing, we're clear; sharp drop off, so don't drop anyone."

With that advice, the five entered the Necromanteion and lowered themselves to the ground floor. There, they saw that the interior wasn't much different from the exterior; still black like Stygian Iron, though Greek fire burned in braziers along the walls. The ground wasn't even paved over; it was grass and dirt, just like outside. For all Jason knew, the ground was meant to just open up like a black hole into the Underworld and just keep going down, originally anyway. Now, though, there was a floor, and not only that, but two doors and a series of stairs that led back up like scaffolding, though it only went part of the way back up, as it was never finished.

One of the doors led to a staircase leading underground, though how there wasn't any indication of this outside the tower is beyond him, as there should've been some kind of bulge or extension for the stairwell itself, yet there wasn't. The other door was barred and locked, with no discernible way to open it.

"That one leads outside," Bianca relayed. She didn't bother elaborating why there wasn't a door on the other side, nor why it was locked.

"How can you tell?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just…feel like that's right, you know?"

"…No, I don't," he returned.

"It's not too difficult to imagine," Luke mentioned. "This place is sacred to her father; it's only natural that she'd know its layout. Demigods are weird that way after all. It's like how we automatically know the layout of Olympus when we go there."

"Which made the godly tour kinda boring," Bianca said off-handedly. Jason grunted in response, and focused his mind on the task at hand. He looked to the stairway, seeing no light from torches on the way down.

He flicked his wrist and made a spark to light his way as he descended into the stairwell, Leo doing the same as he took up the rear. The five descended, but were almost immediately overtaken by darkness. It even encroached onto their light sources. "Bianca," Jason said her name accusatorily, noticing shadows flickering into his vision and block off his sparks occasionally.

"It's not me," she claimed. "Wait…do you guys hear that?"

They stopped. Silence.

"No…come on, let's keep going."

They descended the rest of the stairs, coming out to a darkened passageway. Leo noticed an unlit torch, and handed it to Luke as he lit it himself. Jason and Luke exchanged glances, but they kept going since there was only one way to go.

"Wait, stop," Bianca spoke up. "I _know_ I heard something."

They waited and listened. "I'm still hearing nothing," Leo said, and Piper nodded along with him. "You might be tired."

"Or that witch that's supposed to be here is already messing with her," Luke brought up. As if on cue, Bianca jumped back into Leo, knocking them both over.

"Gah! What the hell?" he questioned as he got back up.

"S-stay away!" she pointed at Jason. Or rather, she pointed in front of her, and Jason happened to be there. He knew this because as he moved away, her hand didn't move along with him.

"Hey, Bianca," he grabbed her arm and hoisted her to her feet. "It's alright; I'm here with you. What do you see?"

She shook her head. "N-not what…who… _Minos_ …" she said his name like Annabeth would proclaim a spider's presence. She seemed visibly shaken at whatever memory was attached to this name. Jason recalled his tale, and that it wasn't a happy one. He looked to Luke.

"Minos kind of made her go crazy," he explained briefly, to which Jason nodded.

"Hey, focus, B," he said, though her head was locked forward, toward Minos, or where she thought he was. "Hey, on me," he shook her, seeming to briefly shake her out of her trance. Piper moved to her other side.

"It's alright," she assured the girl, though with her powers, it laid down a tidal wave of relief in all of them. Jason hadn't noticed that his shoulders had been so tense until she said that and they loosened. "We're here for you."

Jason gave her a nod and a smile. "Thanks," he said to the daughter of Aphrodite, before returning his attention to Bianca. "Better?"

"Y…yeah…I just, haven't thought about him in so long, I…it just shocked me a bit is all."

"Completely underst-" Jason cut off, ears trained on the suspicious footsteps approaching them. Leo whirled around, shooting fire toward the newcomer.

"Whoa! Jeez, watch it or I'll have you walk the plank!" the voice was female, and very familiar. Reyna appeared from the darkness. "Wondering when you lot was gonna get here."

"Reyna?" Jason's heartrate accelerated upon seeing her. "You…you got here before us?"

"Of course, Scipio is certainly faster than that blasted war-hog you've got," she said. "Come, we've a small camp further in."

Reyna turned to walk away. Eyes went to Jason for confirmation. His went to Bianca. "Anything?"

"If it's not her, then I can't tell," she said. So, even the soul was changed, at least in appearance, to match the shapeshifter. Assuming, of course, that it was the shapeshifter.

Jason took a deep breath. He snapped his index and thumbs together, his and Reyna's message of danger, absolute imminent danger. Reyna didn't respond back. That meant either she was dead, or that this was a fake who didn't know their signals.

Reyna-façade had already disappeared into the darkness, not bothering to wait. With the shadow's thickness, it was difficult to tell how far she'd gone; she could've been _just_ out of sight, for all they knew.

The son of Jupiter looked at Leo as he palmed his Regalius. Leo's eyes were hungry; he knew as much as Jason did who they were up against. "I'll bring them to you; charge up now to be ready," he said quietly, to which Leo nodded. "The rest of you, stay behind him, don't want to get caught in the blast," Jason built up a bit of power within himself, and then added a quick, "And hang onto something," before going into action.

Jason made a pulling motion, and it was as if he'd vacuumed all of the air toward him from the darkness. He'd hoped the shapeshifter would've been pulled all the way into their view, but they weren't. Instead, Jason flipped up his Regalius and came out with the sword. He willed lightning to ebb into his blade, and thus it did; gods, but he loved how things went his way all of a sudden.

The sparks served to add damage to anything he hit, and add a bit of illumination. Reyna-façade had turned into Piper-façade, though Jason only got flashes of them here and there as they scrambled around his blade. They were quick, resourceful. Carrying a short sword of their own, the shapeshifter raked it into the stone beneath them and flicked up dirt and dust to block Jason's view. He quickly blew it away, but by then, the shapeshifter was on him. The God Slayer narrowly avoided a strike at his side, but he underestimated the power that went into it.

It all worked out so perfectly that Jason suspected they wanted him to dodge. The shapeshifter followed through and crashed their attack into the wall. The force was great enough to make it collapse in on itself. Jason was then separated from his enemy by a pile of rubble. "Leo, aim high!" Jason called back, ducking to the ground. Above him, blue flames scorched the entire corridor; Jason used his wind to deflect what little of it made contact with him.

The other four rushed forward as Jason stood. He led them over the rubble and to four-way intersection. And then it was like Bologna on repeat. Before they could react, the shapeshifter rushed in and collapsed the ceiling above them, forcing them to separate.

xxxXXXxxx

Piper dove for one of the paths as soon as she heard the crash of the ceiling above her. Without thinking, she landed into a roll and then kept running. Whatever it was that attacked, she wouldn't be cornered if she had to face it. She ran in silence for what felt like half an hour before she allowed herself to stop, bending down and resting her hands on her knees. She was alone; that much was obvious. After taking several breaths, Piper stood straight, and looked to her only way forward.

Before she could start down that path, however, she heard footsteps behind her. Jason emerged from the darkness, looking to have run most of the way as well; Piper must've left him behind. "There you are," Jason said, leaning on the wall to catch his breath. "I thought I'd lost you back there," She offered a light smile and pointed down the corridor. "Yeah, just…give me a minute."

Shrugging, Piper turned around, just in case someone came at them from ahead. She waited…and waited…and waited. "Are you coming?" she asked finally.

"Of course," Jason said, moving forward automatically. He went ahead of her and led her through the hall. Eventually, they began descending.

"Whoa," Piper stopped him from walking face-first into a wall.

"What?" Jason questioned.

"A wall."

Confused, Jason walked through it, as if it wasn't there for begin with. But when Piper tried to do the same, she smacked her nose into the damn thing. She stumbled back, not expecting the sudden stop, only to hit the back of her head on another wall that miraculously appeared.

This was when she realized they were being toyed with, likely by Pasiphae. Piper was soon being slowly crushed between two walls. She closed her eyes, begging Jason to pull her out, but for all she knew, he was going through the same thing.

Soon, Piper had difficulty breathing, and that certainly didn't help her fast-rising anxiety. She forced herself to breathe, to slow to her heart rate no matter the difficulty of the task. Piper forced her eyes shut, praying to all of the gods that Pasiphae couldn't implant images into her mind to break her concentration.

"Piper?" a man's voice entered her ears; a voice she hadn't heard in over a year, and one that she wish she'd heard so much more. Her father had called her name, as if questioning. "You want to know why I called you that?"

The daughter of Aphrodite gasped, the sudden rush of nostalgia and memory overwhelming her. Over top of that, she heard laughter, the kind of mad maniacal laughter that most people would've found funny in a movie. She was acting, after impersonating an actor; ironic. Pasiphae truly was the master of irony.

"Oh, I knew you would be fun to toy with, but that reaction is priceless!" she said, seemingly from all around Piper, as the walls blinked back into place.

The speaker fell to her knees, shaking from the experience. A flood of memories invaded her head unannounced, ones of her father, of the sparse times that he had acted like one. Note: _acted_. The wall that Jason had phased through had disappeared, and he was left looking at her in confusion.

"Are you alright?" he knelt down, but refrained from touching her. "Is it that witch you were talking about?"

Piper took several, labored breaths. Somehow, that was even harder to do than when her lungs were being crushed. Finally, though, she nodded and stood. She started walking without even waiting for Jason; he knew the urgency of their mission. And Piper wouldn't let one bad experience cost them it.

Still, though, as they continued, Piper's mind wouldn't focus anymore. Perhaps it was a blessing, then, when they came to a room of mirrors, and Piper could see herself and chastise herself. That judgmental part of her mother was good for some things, after all.

The room itself was like something you'd see at a carnival, with some mirrors shifting her form to be thinner or thicker, taller or shorter. That was fun, but those were only at the entrance. In Piper's head, she knew that none of this was real. So why, then, did she feel angry when she saw Reyna in her reflection?

Was she _really_ similar at all to that praetor woman? After all, she was brave, and strong, and capable, and commanding. Piper was nothing like that. She was pretty; that was what she had going for her, which wasn't much when compared to her cabinmates, or even a girl like Annabeth, who was a genius on top of that.

Maybe that was why Pasiphae was showing her Reyna, to lower her morale and make her realize how little she truly mattered. She wasn't good enough for Jason. She'd accepted that fact, and yet the bitterness of the pill still left an awful taste, souring everything she took in after it.

It was the same inadequacy she felt when she saw her father. There he was; perfect hair, perfect smile, perfect body. He was a stellar actor, attracted even the goddess of love to his bed…and she was just Piper. She was nothing.

Jason walked over to stand next to her. In his reflection, Tempus was shown. Piper knew because he'd drawn a picture of her and shown it to her, but even if he hadn't, she probably could've guessed. "It's tough, trying to live up to your loved one's expectations," Jason said stuffing his hand into his pocket, likely to grip his Regalius coin. The girl nodded.

"…You knew?" she asked meekly, burying her face into her scarf, Tempus' scarf. "That I still like you?"

"No, I didn't," he said, and didn't miss a beat. Without sympathy, he walked away. _That_ sent up red flags in Piper's mind. Jason wouldn't have done that, would he? He wouldn't have so coldly walked away at that. Or had his Roman-ness changed him so much?

Then, a horrible thought crept into her head. What if…what if this wasn't Jason? What if this was the shapeshifter, taking his place? It might make sense; he'd been much more standoff-ish than usual since they were separated from the others. Come to think of it, he never once said her name either, and now this.

But how could she be sure? How could she make absolutely, one-hundred percent sure whether or not this was Jason?

The obvious was to hold her sword to his throat and see how he reacted. Though, children of Aphrodite were never ones for the direct approach. Piper followed along, outside the mirror room, until she thought of a better solution. When she did, she scolded herself for not having thought of it right away.

"Hey, Jason?"

"Yeah?"

"What's our word?"

He turned back, giving her a blank stare. It looked like his wheels were turning, but nothing was being produced. Because he didn't know the answer. By then, her sword was drawn, and once he couldn't answer, it was just a matter of lifting it to the imposter's throat.

Jason-façade turned around, hands up. "Clever," he said. The tone of how he said that one word threw Piper off a bit. It wasn't cocky or self-assured. It was matter-of-fact, like a second-place winner accepting his defeat in a sports match.

"You're the one that killed Grover?" Piper demanded.

"I killed a satyr," he confirmed, image blurring into Grover's form. Piper gritted her teeth, and gods knew that she wanted to slash this bastard's neck right then and there. But Jason had promised Leo…maybe it would've been better to catch this guy right when they met up with the others, or right before. For all Piper knew, they'd be travelling together for a while. "I was supposed to kill the others that were there too."

"Then why didn't you?" Piper demanded.

"Because I was terrified of the Titan," he answered automatically. Piper tried to take a mental step back; this Giant, this being that was only supposed to be matched in physical prowess by the protogenoi, was scared of a lowly Titan? Why? How? Piper didn't realize this at first, but in addition, it was affected by her Charmspeak, unlike other normal immortals.

"…Why?"

"Because it was a Titan that killed me," the shapeshifter answered again. Another throw-through-a-loop for Piper.

"…How did you…" she trailed off. She remembered a passing mention of artificial Giants, since the prophecy only mentions five, despite there being seven deadly sins. Piper went to ask another question, when she heard his voice again.

"I love you, Piper," her father's words even _sounded_ fake, and yet they tugged and snapped her heart in two so easily…Piper momentarily faltered, though the shapeshifter didn't make an effort to run. It definitely wasn't as if Piper was defenseless or anything, head unfocused, vision close to black.

The memories came back, right after she had begun focusing again…she needed to concentrate. She wouldn't let Pasiphae get the better of her. She needed to continue her interrogation. "What are you, a Giant? What are you called?"

"My God refers to me as Envy," the shapeshifter said. "He created me using the body of a demigod who had been killed."

"Why? What's Pride's endgame?"

"My explanation isn't necessary," Envy explained, pulling a notebook from her back pocket. "You caught me. My Lord will not let me die until I've done my part, but I will accept my defeat, with what pride I have left."

"Won't let you die? What if I gut you right now?"

"The witch won't allow that."

As if on cue, it felt like a sledgehammer rammed into the back of Piper's head. She crumpled to the ground, barely conscious. Was Pasiphae _really_ that powerful?

"You let yourself get distracted," Envy said, looking down on her while still in Jason's form.

"As did you!" Pasiphae's angered voice came from all around them. Envy's hands went to their head, and their form flickered as they lost concentration; it seemed Pasiphae hit them with this migraine spell as well. "You idiot! You were going to give them your analyses? Do you wish for us to fail?!"

"I…" Envy changed from one person to another, never settling on any one person, from Leo, to Luke, back to Jason, to Piper, to Pasiphae, to all sorts of others that Piper didn't recognize, though they wore purple shirts. Finally, as they fell to their knees, their form changed to Tempus. Why? It didn't change after that; did that mean that this was Envy's natural form? No, it couldn't be…could it?

Regardless, Piper didn't get a whole lot of time to think about it, as Pasiphae let Envy go of her agonizing grip. "You have both the physical and mental advantage, and you let yourself be outsmarted by this pathetic cretin of a demigod! Finish the job or leave!"

" _No…need to get up…need to…gods…"_ Piper couldn't focus on anything, let alone a desire to stand. All the girl could manage was forcing her hands under her, though she failed to generate enough concentrated force to lift herself up.

Envy, meanwhile, was hesitating. Little did Piper know; this was the first time Envy was confronted with the prospect of ending a life since she'd recovered the memories of her passing, or near-passing. On top of that, Envy would have to deal with the fact that this girl, Piper, was somehow connected and likely extremely close to Jason, her friend. " _Former friend…_ " the Giant reminded itself.

Envy took a step forward, but again hesitated. Did she really _want_ to do this? Even if she didn't, wouldn't it have been as easy as a stomp onto the demigod's exposed neck? All she had to do was display the same ruthlessness that Krios had shown back at Camp Jupiter, or that Pride implanted within her during his…recruitment.

Taking a deep breath, Envy spoke. "The speaker she walks down a road long since tread. The thoughtfulness of the host as their party loses thread."

Even as all of her natural impulses told her to simply obey and kill this demigod girl, she knelt down. To Piper, this meant the threat of a killing blow.

All of the demigod's processes zeroed in on her coming end, and momentarily overrode Pasiphae's influence. She burst up, New Side in hand, and slashed at Envy. The Giant stumbled to a stand as well and, despite now having a gash in their arm, reached forward. Piper swatted the hand away, and this is when things went wrong for the both of them.

Envy's two secondary powers, the one that Pride had given her and the one from her demigod blood, kicked in before either of them realized that they were fighting, and it ended to conflict quickly.

The brief touch served as an adrenaline boost to the Giant, heightening her senses and boosting all of her emotions, anxiety included. Conversely, Piper lurched backward, feeling a massive nausea and dizziness come over her from having her power sapped from the touch. That was the first power.

The second came in the form of an overwhelming shadow of pain, such as when an amputee feels a pain that isn't there from the missing limb. It was like that, only amplified by a thousand, as Piper got a flash of a glimpse of when Envy had been taken by Pride.

Piper went into immediate shock from the rush of stimuli, stumbling backward and onto her back, eyes wide with agony. She could do nothing as her vision spiraled; only wait for her body to recover. Envy, meanwhile, quickly became terrified just as Piper was. "What are you doing?!" Pasiphae screeched, heightening the Giant's heartrate even further.

Envy turned and ran. That was it. She didn't kill Piper, didn't explain herself, didn't go help Pasiphae as she should've. She ran from it all. She didn't _want_ to hurt anyone. She didn't _want_ to destroy the world. She didn't _want_ anything, except to be rid of this sudden fear and doubt that had come over her. Envy would've been happy in ignorance; she would've preferred going through with everything so long as she didn't have to know her connection to these people.

She forced her way through Pasiphae's illusions, up to the ground floor of the Necromanteion, and crashed through the door leading outside. Her Gigantic strength aided in breaking it down, but she knew she'd made a mistake. For the doors were only supposed to open once the demigods returned from the House' depths, once the two Greeks had emerged from Tartarus, in order to capture them, if they even survived.

Now, though, the monsters charged; the door opening was their cue to strike. Thousands of monsters poured in, wielding claw and sword, bow and spear, all manner of vicious weapons made using their crude intelligence. They flooded into the House of Hades, ignoring Envy as she ran for her life.

She didn't realize that she'd left her notebook behind.

xxxXXXxxx

Pasiphae appeared over Piper with a look of contempt in her eyes, though the daughter of Aphrodite could hardly make it out as she recovered. The witch's features seemed harsher than before, no longer even looking like a decent person, but more like…well, Medea was a good parallel; both had a crazed look in their eye, beneath the veneer and malice. Deep down, they enjoyed the pain they inflicted.

The witch kneeled down, lifted her finger, and a kind of green mist appeared beneath an object next to Piper; the notebook that Envy had left behind. With a flick of her wrist, Pasiphae sent the book careening down, further into the depths of the House, likely to where her physical form was. The only reason Piper figured that, was because Pasiphae hadn't killed her yet. Thus, it could be surmised that this was merely a projection. "Have heroes fallen so far?" she mused, kicking Piper in the side, though she felt nothing from it; projection, you know? "A shame. I'll be sure to show the others your true colors. They all need to see what lies at the heart of a hero; madness, rage, an unyielding and incorrect projection of their justice…pathetic…"

She walked away then, leaving Piper to lie there for several minutes. Eventually, she stood. She didn't know when, or how long it took, but Piper stood and trudged forward. The only thought keeping her feet moving?

" _This is easier than when you killed dad."_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Another day another chapter I don't proofread. A little bts, I originally wanted to have Pasiphae haunt Piper from the beginning, but I felt it would've been a bit too cumbersome for the narrative to implement such an idea. I didn't have a story-arc planned for the witch either; I was going to have her be the catalyst for Piper's various developments, which ties into a theme of growth from unexpected places, but I found work-arounds for that.**

 **Anyhoo, review away!**


	62. Battle For The Soul Of Rome

Bianca had been in the center of the group when the ceiling collapsed over them. Piper had dove for one path, though Bianca didn't see which one. Jason and the others were pushed forward by the son of Jupiter's wind, but Bianca herself wasn't caught up in that pull. Thus, she opted for a short-range shadow-travel to avoid it. Gods, but it felt good to have her powers restored, even if she hadn't had much reason to use them. Save for Eurus, but that encounter seemed…off, to Bianca.

It might've been her imagination, but she felt weaker during it. Maybe it was a side-effect of relaxing on her practice or lingering effects of Hermes' healing. Still, she felt at one-hundred percent afterwards, possibly as a result of flexing her powers a bit. Thus, the short jump was easy, relatively anyway. Any god could agree that teleporting was serious business; one mistake and you could be stuck half-way into a wall.

Once Bianca emerged from the shadows, she found herself alone. She sensed several souls behind her, and heard her comrades call for her from beyond the rubble. "Hey, is everyone alright?" Jason said, though he was coughing from the dust as he did.

"Good here," Bianca answered, turning to face them. She saw that the guys had all made it into the same pathway, what would've been the straight path. Piper dived right, and Bianca jumped to the left path.

"Same," Piper agreed. Bianca frowned.

"Someone is running away from you," the daughter of Hades warned. "Someone who looks like you."

"Good to know; I'll keep an eye out," Piper claimed.

"Whoa, wait, hold on. We can get through this rubble if you'd wait a minute," Jason claimed.

"Or I could jump to you," Bianca offered.

"No thanks," Piper said. "Honestly, I think maybe it might be best if we stayed split up. Who knows? Pasiphae might make us fight each other or something," she pointed out, sounding like she was choosing her words carefully. So far, Bianca didn't feel an inclination to do anything, so she chalked it up as a success.

"She makes a good point," Luke agreed. "I'm sure the paths converge eventually."

"They do," Bianca claimed. "If we keep going, eventually we'll reach a big room."

"Got it," Leo said, eager to get a move on.

"What kind of room? Something for worship?"

"Eh, close enough when it comes to my dad," Bianca shrugged. Jason sighed, but conceded. The five agreed to meet up with each other there.

So of course, it took Bianca no less than three steps until things started going awry. "Bianca…" his voice entered her head like one of her own thoughts. At first, it was so quiet that she wasn't even sure she'd heard it. "Bianca."

He kept droning her name over and over, growing louder each time. Chills went up her spine, freezing her in place. It'd been so long since she felt this kind of fear, this kind of regret and suffering. This is the voice that made her psyche shatter. It hadn't been a quick rock-to-a-window shatter either, but rather his voice and influence growing progressively louder until her mind snapped under its pressure. She thought she'd outgrown it. "Go away…" she begged. "I don't need you anymore…"

"Oh, Bianca dearest," he mused, still sounding far away, but growing closer with each word. "You'll always need a friend. And who else can provide that to you?"

"I-I have friends!" she claimed, though stumbled on her words. He began laughing. "I do! I have Percy and Winona, and the other guys on the Argo, and-" his light laughter turned to maniacal cackling. By now, he was all around her, straining her mind in trying to keep up with it. He grew louder and louder.

It was clear that he wouldn't be as gentle with her this time. This time, he'd pick up the rock.

"You…you're not real…you're…you're…in my head…"

"I am _very_ real!" Minos' form burst into existence, piercing right through Bianca's soul-vision. It was the first time she wasn't technically fighting for her life that she had removed her blindfold, at least since Bologna. So, of course, the first thing she wanted to see was Minos' half-destroyed mug encroaching from every angle until it coalesced into a giant face. "You _ruined_ me! In one fell swoop you upended all of my plans! For that, you must be punished. Harshly."

"N-no, please…"

He backed up slowly gaining form, just like when he'd led the forces of the dead to march on Camp Half-Blood. As if the events went on repeat, he smirked, and several skeletal warriors appeared at his side, all sporting some kind of indication of their Roman lineage, whether it was medals, armor, or weaponry. They all seemingly emerged from the walls and floors. Soon, he was surrounded by at least a dozen of them.

"Stay away," Bianca warned, trying to sound braver than she felt as she drew Brotherhood, her Stygian Iron sword, made using Nico's soul and tempered in the River Styx. It was a deadly weapon, capable of morphing into a bladed whip. She knew she could handle these things. "I'm the Ghost King; I can send _all_ of you back to hell where you belong!"

"Where we belong?" Minos chuckled. "Hades has fallen! The dead have nowhere to go but up. Kill her."

As if on cue, the entire structure shook. Bianca didn't know what caused it, but she took the chance, carving through three of the skeletons and dashing past the rest. She needed to meet up with the others. She didn't know how many undead soldiers were waiting in this place.

It turned out to be several hundred.

xxxXXXxxx

It didn't take long for the final three to run into a dead-end. Literally. And not literally.

They went along their narrow path and ran into a brick wall. "What the hell…?" Leo tried pushing against it, but it didn't budge. Then he gave it a fire-punch, but it wasn't very effective.

"Some kind of illusion, if Bianca is to be believed," Luke surmised. Jason nodded; she'd said specifically that the path would continue until they reached some kind of large room. The son of Jupiter held out his hand.

"Stand back," he advised Leo. Once the boy was clear, he shot a gust of wind at the wall. While the wall itself was undamaged, the surrounding area was blown over as if by a tornado. To either side, large swaths were carved out, revealing that the wall sloppily clipped into the side, like some early 2000s video game glitch.

"Jeez, this witch needs to up her texture budget," Luke said amusingly.

"Looks like we can't go around," Jason noted.

"So what, we're stuck?" Leo leaned against the wall. The three pondered for a moment about what they'd do. "I don't know about you, but I'm thinking that- whoa!" he lurched forward from feeling a sharp prick in his back.

Leo whirled around, and saw figures emerging from the wall, sword first, which was the prick. Thankfully, there wasn't enough force behind their walk to impale the boy, but still. Soon they were surrounded by a dozen things…actually, they had a resemblance to the Lust spawn, only without the greenish glow that signified that he was controlling them.

"Cool, dead Romans," Luke said.

Jason quickly flipped his Regalius into a sword and prepared for them to attack. And they did. What was odd, though, is that they didn't use any formation. Call it what you will, but when Jason sees that kind of armor and those kinds of weapons, he expected to be hit with one of the seven main formations, especially as the room widened to make room for all of the undead. And that was something that Jason's mind just had to accept, that Pasiphae was messing with it so easily.

Speaking of formations, though…

"Luke, do you know formations?" Jason questioned as he forced back a group of three of the enemy.

"Dude, I was praetor for half a year; of course I do," he answered.

"Okay, you're right wing, Leo is left, and I'm center; second formation," Jason said, shifting to his left, with Leo just behind him, laying down covering fire like arrows. Luke made his way to forward through the mess of undead, as they'd stopped coming through with the odds resting at a nice and cozy ten-to-one factor. The Titan Lord's host caught one of the Roman soldier's blades, and flung it and the skeleton attached to it straight into some of its allies, those who were serving as the left wing of the enemy. With them out of commission, Jason pressed into the mob of skeletons and carved through their limbs, at least making them drop their swords.

That left about a third of them. Jason and Luke approached from the side, while Leo continued pelting them from the front. Soon, they were all ground to dust. "Phew," Leo wiped his brow. "Easy every time, right?"

"I have a feeling that these weren't the only ones," Jason mentioned. As he said it, the wall that'd been blocking their path disappeared. "Some kind of test…?" he guessed, though didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he kept moving, the others following behind him. Jason kept his Regalius out, just in case any more of these walls were fake and the skeletons appeared again, more violent this time.

It turns out that that didn't happen. Instead, the entire building rumbled, almost like there was an earthquake. It didn't stop there. Instead, the three felt a lower, more subtle rumbling that persisted after that, and then they heard the slow build-up of cries and shrieks. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Luke said quietly.

"Fan-girls?"

"Monsters," Jason agreed. "We need to move."

With that, their brisk walk turned into a jog. They had to hope the others were similarly hurrying after they felt the rumble. The three ran into another two groups of skeletons, though neither was as large as the initial one, allowing them to handle things quickly and without any bloodshed on their part.

Eventually, they saw a light at the end of a tunnel so to speak, as they came out to the big room that Bianca had mentioned. Once there, they saw where all of the undead soldiers were coming from; the walls. "Holy…"

The stone walls were lined with indentations like beds, and on them lay dead men in full Roman armor. "This isn't a worship hall…it's a tomb…"

Some of the indentations were empty, and the reason why was that the dead men who'd come alive had done so and attacked the Argo II crew. Not only that, but the floor seemed coated in crimson. Some form of massive battle took place here, though thankfully not recently. Further evidence of this was the two oddly placed skeletons.

One held the standard Roman armor, but the other's set seemed much more ornate, even more so than the praetor's armor back at camp. Jason didn't recognize its appearance from any of New Rome's old texts, though he may have forgotten about it with how long it's been since he's read up on the subject. And yes, he _did_ take up an interest in Roman armor-smithing. Reyna had been jealous that he was too good at everything, but he was kind of crap at it, truth be told.

The strangest part, however, was that the two were stuck into an awkward position, with each having impaled the other on their blades. But that's not all; the _actual_ strangest part was that the one wearing the regal armor was using a Celestial Bronze sword, though it still held the Roman gladius' shape.

"What the hell happened?" Luke wondered examining the scene of the double kill.

"Dunno. Who's the guy with the pretty chest plate?" Leo knocked on the armor. The skeleton didn't particularly like that. Both of them, along with the rest of the skeletons in the room, stirred. At first, they shook, and then their limbs began moving. Leo and Luke jumped back to Jason, who stood ready to face them. The two in front of them removed their blades from each other, and Jason was expecting to have to fight them off. Instead, they started fighting each other.

The three modern demigods were left to continue wondering what the hell was going on as the other skeletons dropped down to the floor and approached them, not seeming to bother with the regal skeleton warrior. The regal skeleton itself was incredible for being a pile of bones. Not only was it keeping up with its opponent, but as the others passed, it slashed through them as well, thinning out their numbers at least by a bit.

It still left several hundred for Jason and the others to deal with, however. Very quickly, the three huddled together as the small army surrounded them. "Any ideas?" Luke questioned as he fought back a group of them.

"Either of you see an exit?" Jason asked, though he didn't get an answer. "I'll take that as a 'no'…we need to start pushing, get to a wall to cover our backs."

"And let ourselves be pushed to a corner?" Luke questioned.

"We can hold them off; we need to wait for the others."

As if on cue, they heard Piper screaming. It sounded muffled, blocked off by a wall or two, before it suddenly came into sharp focus above them. She'd fallen down a hole in the floor. Jason saw this, let loose a burst of wind to push the enemy back, and leapt into the air to catch her.

"I've got you," he said soothingly, as she quickly gripped around his neck and looked out at the scene below them; two skeletons were fighting each other and the rest were mobbing around Luke and Leo.

"Phew…that was fun," she said, though she sounded a bit nauseous.

"What happened?"

"There was a slippery slope…and a hole…" she claimed. "Quick, we need to get down there and help."

Jason was about to agree, when a wave of shadows burst through the wall, and Bianca shot out, followed by a group of fifty more skeletons. Jason and her made brief eye contact (sort of, blindfold) before she landed, and went loose with her sword-whip, arcing through a dozen skeletons at a time.

Simultaneous to that, another wall exploded open as monsters began pouring in, those of all sizes, from Cyclopes to Medusa's sisters.

"What is _happening_?!" Leo cried out as the room erupted into chaos.

Jason dove down to the ground near his allies, making a small hole in their ranks as he set down Piper, allowing her to join Luke and Leo in defense. Jason saw over the skeletons that the monsters were heading straight for them, ignoring all of the undead Romans that were in their way. Against both forces, Jason knew they had only a slim chance.

Thankfully, this was when Bianca worked her magic. "I am your King, vile specters!" she called, her voice altering a bit from her shadows as they reached out and entangled the enemy. "You will _kneel_!"

She sent a burst of dark energy out, harmless but effective. On command, all of the skeletons obeyed her command, though with the exertion, she also dropped to her knee, acting as if she'd just stabbed herself. Jason could only imagine the willpower it took to forcibly control all of these souls. Thankful, he went to work. "Leo! Light 'em up!" he ordered, pointing to the monsters, which number at least fifty so far, and it'd only been about eight seconds since they arrived.

"Thought you'd never ask," Leo said, getting a cocky grin on his face. Jason lit up his lightning and Leo his fire, and they released a synchronized shot toward them. The two energies combined into a massive burst of power, blasting back and causing an explosion to where they were pouring in, incinerating those that had already arrived, though more quickly filled their shoes.

"Okay, but what about the rest?" Luke wondered.

"And the…rest?" Jason saw Bianca start to lose control of the skeletons.

"Bianca, stay strong," Jason pleaded; he _needed_ to seal up where the monsters were coming from, or they'd be toast.

"Yeah well, Romans don't really like listening to me, you know…" she groaned from the effort, sweat beading her face. "But they might listen to you."

"What?"

"The dead need guidance, Jason; you might be able to rally them," she suggested. The son of Jupiter nodded, though wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing. He got into the air above them.

"Uh, Romans," he addressed them. "We need to band together to defeat this common foe! Instead of your fellow Roman's blood, we must spill the monsters'!"

His pitiful speech didn't seem to 'wow' the undead legionnaires. In fact, they seemed even more restless at his call to fight. Some broke from Bianca's control and those few then turned into several dozen of them, and then all of them. Jason continued trying to get them under control, as did Bianca, but nothing seemed to work. Jason didn't even know what to call them.

Finally, after several minutes, the regal warrior leapt up to knock him down, possibly insulted at Jason's pitiful rank compared to his. Jason blocked the strike with his own blade, but the forceful was incredible. They both shot to the ground, Jason barely able to stop the attack. The warrior pressed harder, drawing blood onto Jason's chest, but not enough to cause any significant damage; just enough to hurt.

This might have been a blessing in disguise, however, as it allowed Jason to see the emblem which was engraved in the guard of his opponent's blade, that of an owl. It didn't take very long for Jason to put two and two together; the owl was the symbol of Nero, whose patron goddess was Minerva, or so the story went.

Apparently she abandoned him after he started the Great Fire, and the gods took a step back from their people until the next Emperor was appointed. That was what Jason learned, anyway.

Regardless, this at least gave Jason something to address them with. The dead needed guidance, eh? Well, he ought to at least remind them of their rank and order.

Jason forced the royal warrior off of him, and shot back up to the sky. His detractor was subsequently occupied with his opponent from earlier, keeping him out of Jason's hair for a while. The man took a deep breath, and then poured every ounce of authority into his voice, carrying it several times on the wind of the room. "Fifth Legion! Form ranks!" he roared. The undead legionnaires froze, as if they themselves had seen a ghost. Then, miraculously, they obeyed. They formed a single cohort, with several forming the vanguard and providing much needed protection from the now army of monsters that had poured into the room. Surprisingly, while the opponent of the royal guard fell into formation, the regal guard himself didn't. He kept trying to fight, though Jason's words seemed to cripple him somehow. "First formation!" Jason called, signaling the left and right wings to start pressing forward. Meanwhile, Jason himself (and Leo who joined in) let loose a blast which caused a rubble avalanche to seal the hole that the monsters were coming through.

The Roman legionnaires proceeded to eradicate the monsters, even the hefty ones like the Cyclopes and giants that weren't the Giants (Jason saw them throwing flaming metal volleyballs earlier). Jason dropped down to the others, who were helping Bianca back to her feet after her little stunt.

"Phew…been a while since I pulled something like that," she grinned, seeming satisfied with herself. Jason was about to ask her not to overexert herself, but refrained. Things were still too hot to be making banter.

"So, what's up with this guy?" Luke pointed to the regal guard, still trying to fight, though he couldn't even stand up.

Jason walked over to him, and heard him mumbling some kind of chant. "Ex lupus et tenebrae erant natus…Maceratur in superbia et honore nos vigent…"

"What's he saying?" Leo wondered.

"A Roman proverb?" Piper asked.

"Not any that I've ever heard of," Luke crossed his arms.

He continued. "Ut nos deficimus, sed non cadere…Ut nos crack sed non conlidam…Sive septem, aut septem milia nos resurget…Et nemo stabit in via nostra gloria…"

Jason moved to stand in front of the royal soldier. He took another look at his armor, trying to discern his identity. He felt like if he stared at him hard enough, the answer would present itself. The skeleton reached out toward Jason, or more likely toward the battle.

"Trans horizon te videre nobis…Et sicut sulphur cadit et profunda movent violenta…Audies nostri clamorem et formidabunt…"

"You're…" Jason was so close to figuring it out. His concentration broke, however, when the warrior burst forward at an unexpected speed, boney fingers digging into Jason's head. Immediately, the son of Jupiter's vision spiraled, quickly fading to black before bursting to life again in a completely different place. The skeleton's eerie chant continued to its final lines.

"Tunc enim vos scire…Venimus!"

On cue, Jason found himself in the middle of a massive battle. Thousands of Roman soldiers clashed in the streets of Rome. Jason had to fly up into the air to avoid their weapons, as his own was nowhere to be found. "What the hell…?" Jason questioned.

Jason saw a flash, literally. The vision was directing where he should look, and when he did, he saw the same intricate armor of the skeleton from the Necromanteion. He was full flesh and blood now, carving through the enemy like butter with skills that Jason thought only the greatest of heroes could display...or Percy, he'd begrudgingly admit.

Jason saw the battle in flashes, one of which caused something to spark and fire to burn. Soon, half the city was on fire, with the battle still raging. The regal warrior's side was losing, led by, presumably, that Roman warrior who had impaled and been impaled back at the Necromanteion. Soon, it was even just down to that Roman's army versus the regal warrior. He was still keeping up, even so grossly outmatched. Truly, he had the strength of a thousand men combined. Jason was teleported closer to the action, as he overheard their cries of battle and glory and hatred.

"You sit in your palace, closed off from the rest of us! How could you possibly know what is best?!" the Roman called as he dueled the regal, who then responded.

"I know because it is my duty to know. This power was not meant for you, nor for any of us!"

"You lie!"

"Cassius, this is bigger than us!"

"For too long, you've kept this power to _yourself_! You know where it lies, and we will extract its location from you and then retrieve it for us all!"

"You will not!" the regal pushed back. "This is not a battle to be waged for power. This is not a war for Rome and its people, but for its soul! If you go through with this, then I _promise_ you the gods will smite you with great vengeance and furious anger!"

Cassius, that opposing Roman whom Jason somehow instinctually knew was a child of Bellona, quickly gained the upper hand with his superior numbers. "It is time for the traitor to perish! Down with Nero!"

Jason blinked. They couldn't possibly be inferring that this defined warrior was the tyrant Nero? He seemed too…elegant, to hold such a moniker.

And then, Jason saw what Nero saw, as he was on the ground, bleeding out, seeing a Roman standing over him. He reached out to the sky. "Mother, please, you cannot let it end this way!" Nero called out to the heavens. "You must know that this power was meant to prevent wars, not start them! Please, you must give me the strength to end this! I no longer care whether my name be tarnished. I care not what price I must pay this day or any to come after! The Parthenos _must_ be protected!"

As he spoke, Jason saw flashes of another, separate battle. In it, Jason saw the goddess Bellona and the goddess Minerva locked in mortal combat. From what Jason saw, Bellona had won. Though she escaped, Minerva was now weakened. She could provide no aid. And did Nero wish help from his mother? Nero's mother, according to common history texts, was Agrippina the Younger. Were they wrong? Was Nero, in fact, a demigod?

As if that information wasn't revolutionary enough, Nero was then answered, but not by Minerva, but by her Greek counterpart. The sight of the Greek goddess coming down like a guardian angel was like a literal jolt through Jason's spine. Everything clicked together. If nothing else, it seemed to cease the Romans' advance on the Emperor briefly as well.

"Very well, child. You will not stop the Parthenos from being sought, but you will prevent its theft this day," Athena claimed, holding her hand out and seemingly imbuing the Emperor with a portion of her godly energy. Nero lifted into the air, and surrounded himself with silver light. Soon, he released it into a massive flash, engulfing not only Jason but the rest of the Roman army.

When Jason's vision cleared, he was back in the Necromanteion, in that big tomb-y room, though not in his own time. Instead, he saw that Nero had teleported them all there, and then proceeded to slaughter the rest of the army with his newfound strength. It ran out shortly before he finished the job, leaving Cassius and him to finish things. As evidenced by what Jason had found in the present, it ended in a draw.

Jason's vision slowly faded to black once again, and when it cleared, he was on the ground, surrounded by his friends. The regal warrior, Nero, stood over him, while the others were fighting off the now out-of-control Roman legionnaires.

"You're…you're Nero…" Jason muttered. "And you were never Roman…you're a son of Athena. That's why you were a traitor and why everyone called you a tyrant."

That realization, or at least the vocalization of it, seemed to calm the warrior's spirit. No longer did he seem paralyzed, but rather was calm. In fact, he even grew out a little, forming a kind of transparent flesh around him, giving the appearance of a more traditional ghost. He was smiling softly, satisfied.

He held out a hand, and helped Jason to his feet. The son of Jupiter felt rejuvenated. He felt great, better than great, even. "Everyone, duck," he advised. He lit himself up with lightning, feeling it flow so naturally through him, as if it'd been doing so his whole life. He lifted his Regalius, still in its sword form. As the others lowered themselves he slashed out in a wide arc, sending a wave of lightning coursing out and demolishing the undead army. It was odd; Jason could almost feel their relief, that they'd finally be cut down by what they considered to be a true Roman. Perhaps it made them fall easier than they would have otherwise; from Jason's perspective, he used less power here than, say, when he beat Hercules.

"Hm…maybe start with that, next time," Bianca advised, to which Jason nodded. The group broke their formation now that the danger had passed, and addressed the elephant in the room. Well, the first one anyway.

"Greetings, future demigods. I am Nero, last of my line, and former Emperor of the glorious Roman Empire," the ghost spoke in Latin, but it was as if he dubbed himself over in English, for everyone to understand. "I am the one that hid the Athena Parthenos. It had been stolen from its home in Athens and horded; it's what the great Julius Caesar took to gain what he considered divine blessing to rule. It's power fell, its reach weakened, until I intervened. Unfortunately, my former colleague wished to seize it for himself…I stopped him," he gestured to one of the fallen legionnaires; Cassius.

"Why?" Leo wondered.

"…His intention was to begin a civil war for the Parthenos. Its purpose was for peace, not bloodshed. Should a Roman have stolen it away again…then I fear the rift between Greek and Roman demigods would have never healed. Perhaps in time, I thought, a noble Greek hero, untainted by Roman sin, would be able to retrieve it through virtue, intelligence, and wit. Though, given where the Sibylline Books ended up, as it doled out quest after quest for Roman heroes to fail, it seems the Fates did not have the same idea…perhaps I was wrong, however. Perhaps it is the joining of power between Greeks and Romans that was the key. And perhaps your gambit will succeed because of that. That is my hope."

"How were there Greek demigods in your time?" Luke questioned.

"We were sparse; the Romans out-numbered us a thousand-to-one. Most didn't know we existed; Mother thankfully accepted all of us should we have the will to learn her ways. Some of us even thrived in that world. But even then, hatred ran strong, perhaps stronger as the takeover was still fresh in our minds," he explained, which didn't help answer the question at all.

"Um…" Jason had no earthly clue what to say. In the silence, Nero's form began to flicker and fade.

"I've not much time left. I sense that the Parthenos has been retrieved. Though I can no longer stop you, should you mean harm with it, I trust that you retrieved it for the right purposes. After all, I sense a great evil; even greater than you demigods and your squabbles."

"You…I thought you'd be…" Jason didn't want to offend the Emperor.

"A tyrant?" Nero guessed. Jason nodded. "…It need not matter what others think of you, so long as you command respect. That is one of Mother's most vital teachings. From my theater in the Underworld, it seems it took you a while as well. It took me until my death to fully embrace it, but when I did, I was able to see the light in the darkness; the darkness that we live in every day. In my bleakest moment, as my brothers and sister lie dead around me…I finally realized that Mother was right. And so I say; there is clarity in despair, young demigods. Never forget to look for it, in your own dark times."

By now, Nero's form had almost completely faded. Jason, just before it was too late, got up the courage to tell him what was on his mind. "I'll spread the word about you, about what you did. I'll make you loved again, like you deserve," he vowed.

Nero chuckled as he faded to black powder, which dispersed in the wind. His voice hung in the air. "You already have one hero's dream to fulfill, don't you?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okay, we have a bit to go through this time. First off, thank you for your reviews!**

 **Second, I'm not sure if you noticed, but I love my references and homages, and there are plenty in this chapter: "The dead need guidance" is from FFX, the "closed off from the rest of us" line is a reference to the ending of Gurren Lagann, the naming of Cassius was done in reference to "Dust: An Elysian Tale", the line "Great vengeance and furious anger" is from the fake Bible passage in Pulp Fiction, and the "Start with that next time" line is from Iron Man 2.**

 **Other than that, you'll notice that I was a good boy and did a little bit of research for this chapter. I needed some tangible way of Jason materialistically embracing his Roman heritage, so what better way to do that then by having him use real Roman tactics...or at least I hope they are. If this got published, I might take more time to iron out the research, but the source I used, and unfortunately this site won't let me link it, is (removes all spaces) "roman military . net". With any luck, it's not a spam or fake site.**

 **Anyhoo, sorry, you won't get Tartarus until chapter 64, because I want you all to squirm!**


	63. If I'm A Monster

After Nero's spirit disappeared, one of the walls opened up, revealing another path downwards.

"Safe?" Jason asked Bianca, who shrugged.

"I haven't the slightest clue," she admitted. "I can't get a read for this place any further down than this."

"Further down the rabbit hole we go, then," Luke said. Much like the last time, Jason went first and Leo went last to provide light and protection.

"Did anybody run into the shapeshifter? Any chance it's still around?"

"Its name is Envy, and they're a Giant," Piper answered. "It ran off."

"…Why?"

"I don't know…" Piper admitted. "But I need to tell you about its powers."

"It can shapeshift," Leo offered.

"No, it has more. When it touched me, it felt like all of the feeling in my body vanished."

"Like you were numb?"

"Sort of? It felt like…it felt like it was stealing my energy."

"Are you still in one piece?" Luke asked.

"Unless you count my mental scarring…when it touched me, I saw visions, like I was seeing its memories. Pride, he…he tortured it…"

"Piper…" Jason tried to find a delicate way of saying 'it killed Grover so you shouldn't have any sympathy for it,' but Leo beat him to the punch.

"So what?" he questioned. And that was all that needed to be said for the subject to be dropped. Tortured or not; it was going down.

The journey down to the Necromanteion's lowest levels was shorter than the previous corridor journey. This one took not only less time but Pasiphae allowed the party to stay together. Too bad that wouldn't last.

They emerged into another large room, this one round and barren in terms of decorations. Though, given what came out of the last room's 'decorations', perhaps they should be glad about that.

The most striking part of the room were the Doors. Yes, they had _finally_ reached the Doors. They seemed innocuous enough at first glance, with them just being a set of double doors, but upon closer inspection, they had some gnarly designs which featured a whole bunch of people maiming each other in a whole assortment of ways. The blood was even real, and continually dripping from them.

Inside, they saw mostly red, just the color. From so far away, it was difficult to make out anything specific inside, but the presence of the entrance alone was enough to make them want to steer clear of it. It was like Tartarus was physically warding them off, and it probably would've worked had the crew just stumbled upon it. But they didn't; they were here to close them.

The second most striking part of the room was a large shadow. Literally. There was very little to distinguish itself from any old shadow on the wall, but this one was, if possible, very clear in its position, mass, and presence. They'd run into another Giant, for sure.

Before that, though, there was someone else to deal with. The witch Pasiphae teleported in front of them, though that wasn't entirely correct. Instead, she sent out a projection of herself, as she did with Piper.

When she appeared, she put on a sweet face for the proverbial camera. "Ah, ah, ah…kids like you shouldn't be playing around so late, don't you think?"

"You-" Leo was about to insult her, but everyone was quickly separated. Using her Mist manipulation, Pasiphae somehow caused stone to sprout from the ground. First she made a spire in the center of their tight cluster, to separate them, followed by several walls separating them further. Bianca and Leo were sent one way, pushed by the walls, leaving Piper, Jason, and Luke to the other side of the room.

Leo tried his damnedest to push back against the wall, but he couldn't. Every time he tried to jump over it, it would extend to block him. Bianca, meanwhile, faced their opponent, the immobile Giant. The shadow that made up its body fidgeted, whipping this way and that with something akin to legs or tentacles. A proper word might be tendrils. "You are to be my opponents?"

"Depends, you want to let us get our friends, close the Doors, and leave?" Bianca wondered, though drew her sword. Leo lit up his flames as well.

"A foolish question. The Giant called Sloth was given one task and one alone; defend the Doors of Death from unworthy hands, including all demigods."

"Unworthy, huh?" Leo pounded his fists together, creating a small burst of flame for show. "I think that might be the wrong word for us."

With that, the two charged forward to fight.

The remaining three of the Argo II crew immediately made a break for the wall that blocked them, though as they ran, it seemed to get farther and farther away, at least, that's how it seemed to Piper anyway.

"We need to get to that Giant," Luke said, though as he did, they all ran face-first into another wall. "Gah! Damn it…" he rubbed his cheek as he felt the material; solid stone, but it didn't break when he punched it.

Very soon, Jason lurched forward, face going deathly pale. It didn't take much longer for Luke and Piper to go down with him as Pasiphae bombarded them with their most painful memories.

"You were my _brother_ , Luke!" Thalia had tears streaming down her face as they dueled on Mount Orthys. "You were my hero!"

"Veritas lux mea, pretty profound, isn't it?" Tempus had claimed.

"I love you, Piper," her father had said.

"I wonder," Pasiphae appeared in a whiff of purple smoke. She held the book. "Is it the fate of a hero to have lost someone so dear to them?"

Piper forced her brain to work, and by some miracle, she made her way over to Luke. She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look her in the eye. "Luke, listen to me if you ever will; you need to snap out of it," she begged.

His eyes were hazy. "Thalia….you're not…ugh…" he held his head.

"Thalia is _dead_ , Luke," she said. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but they had a job to do. "Now, you need to snap out of it and protect us, to make up for it. Remember?"

"I…yeah…" Luke stood, thoughts slowly returning. Pasiphae approached the while they were distracted. She looked to be ready to kill Piper.

However, she made the mistake of appearing in front of them with her real body. She was blasted backwards by a gust of wind, and thrown into the opposite wall; Jason had somehow pulled it off. Very briefly, her magic ceased affecting them, and they saw Bianca and Leo fighting a losing battle against the Giant.

Pasiphae appeared again, hair frazzled from the attack, though the book was nowhere to be found. Jason blasted her again, to no effect. "Jason!" Piper called, pointing at the battle being waged on the other end of the room. Somehow, they'd gotten even farther away than when they started.

Together, the three burst into a sprint, trying to reach the fight before Pasiphae blocked them off again, to no avail. Instead of getting closer, they only drifted farther away, and then another wall appeared.

"Rragh! This is getting us nowhere!"

"Of course it isn't!" Pasiphae cackled from above them. "You think I would let you vermin aid the fight?"

Piper tried to block out everything around her; she needed to think. She may not have been as smart as Annabeth, but she was the most level-headed one here. She needed to step up.

Pasiphae's Mist manipulation shouldn't have been able to make walls of any kind. The Mist shifts perception, not alter reality, right? That was Piper's understanding of it, in any case. So then, was the answer as simple as 'there is no spoon'? She made her way over to the wall, and pressed against it; it was as a solid as it looked.

Piper pushed harder at first, before backing off; this was getting her nowhere. So she tried a different approach. Piper closed her eyes, imagined the battle going on in front of her, imagined that the wall wasn't even there. She took a few steps forward, and opened her eyes again. The wall was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the only walls that she could see were the ones at the edge of the room. Luke was punching the air, which while funny in a vacuum, wasn't ideal in context. She made her way over to him. "Guys, listen to me. The walls aren't real! They're in your head."

"What? But-"

"No 'buts'! You have to believe me. Just…walk through them. You can do this."

Jason obeyed without question. Luke took a bit longer, but soon, all of them had made it through the walls, and all of them had disappeared from their view. "W-what? Impossible!"

"Come on, we need to move," Jason said, grabbing their wrists and jumping up to fly. He soared as fast as he could, and they actually neared the battle, when the witch attacked once again. Jason let out a cry of pain. They tumbled from the air, rolling and crashing into the walls that appeared; it seemed she could still trick their minds if they were distracted.

"I need you to hold onto this for a while," Tempus said, handing him her scarf. It'd been only a few days since she'd returned from her quest. Gods, but if it didn't crush him to see that defeated look in her eye when she said, "I don't think I deserve it anymore."

Luke was the first one to stand. He burst forward, opting to cut his losses and make for the battle, which wasn't going well. The giant loomed over the demigods, with Bianca desperately defending a seemingly unconscious Leo. Luke lurched forward, however, as more memories returned to his head.

"Here you go Annabeth, you very own dagger," he'd said upon giving her Oathkeeper. "It's a symbol, you see? It's my promise from me to you; I'll protect you…I'll be the family you both have always deserved."

Piper went to try and help him, but then she was caught as well. She collapsed onto the ground, the intensity of the mental barrage being too much for her. "Someday you'll outshine me, Piper," her father had said. He didn't mean it. He'd been drunk when he did; he was celebrating finishing a shoot with the cast of a movie.

Piper's mind was in a funk, lost in her despair. Her vision was almost completely black. Honestly, she wanted to just fall unconscious and let things play out as they did, but one thing kept her awake; Pasiphae's incessant cackling. It pierced her mind even sharper than a blade would, digging into her ears. "Stop laughing at me!" Piper growled, pouring every ounce of willpower into her words. And the witch obeyed, voice catching in her throat.

Pasiphae seemed surprised at this; she was normally affected by Charmspeak after all. After the initial shock passed through, then came the anger. "I grow tired of you," Pasiphae claimed, voice as cold as ice, appearing to them and once again holding the book. "Perhaps it's time to make good on my promise, hm? It's time to show them what kind of 'hero' you are."

Piper was released from her hold, and it was like she'd been choking. She immediately gasped and coughed. "W-what are you…" her voice was raw, like she'd been screaming for the last hour and a half.

"Piper…who's that in the car with you…?" Her eyes went to Jason, who'd said those words. Then it hit her.

"No, you…you wouldn't," she said, even though she knew very well that Pasiphae could and would reveal her secret.

"Piper!" Luke called, voice raspy under his own mental strain. "You need to help me through here! If we don't help, then Leo and Bianca could die!"

"But-"

"Now!"

"Oh, such a difficult choice. Can you _really_ trust a Roman with your secret? You know he gets with all of that justice stuff," Pasiphae mocked. "Odd how things work out, isn't it?"

Piper's eyes darted from Jason to Luke and back again. She knew she couldn't do both in time. If she went to Jason, it could be too late for the others. If she went to Luke, Jason would surely…no, she couldn't…but Leo…

Piper closed her eyes and covered her ears. She prayed that this was a bad dream. She prayed that they hadn't ever left Camp Half-Blood, that all of this was from stress. She didn't want to make this decision; she _couldn't_ make it. She needed someone else to do it for her, anyone else…but there was no one.

"You know, Greek myths and Cherokee myths aren't so different," her father had said, and for some reason, this memory didn't feel intrusive. This was something Piper wanted, no, _needed_ to remember. "In both, all of their greatest heroes had a single fatal flaw."

Fatal flaw…excessive distrust…if Piper gave into it too strongly, then she could get herself killed…

Her feet moved before she could change her mind. She nearly crashed right into Luke, but she managed to stay on her feet. She looked into his eyes, which were foggy and unfocused, and poured everything into her words, forcing him to obey even through his immortal qualities. "Luke, none of this is real. You need to push through this wall like it isn't even there. Then you need to fight like your life depends on it!"

His eyes slowly zeroed in on her, and he nodded. His head seemed to clear as she closed his eyes and ran for the battle. Soon, he was in the thick of it.

Piper turned back to Jason and ran to him. Maybe she could still make it before…

The first thing she noticed was the disappointment in his eyes. Secondarily, she noticed that he was focused on her and not stuck in memory lane. "Jason, are you-" she reached for him, but he pushed her hands away. "J-Jason…?"

"You…Piper, how could you…?" he didn't have to finish the thought for her to feel his despondency as he stepped away from her. Piper didn't know how much of that was from the initial shock of the news and how much was his actual feelings. At the moment, as Pasiphae began cackling once again, Piper didn't care. She found herself shaking, but not from sadness. It was rage.

Pasiphae had just ruined the best friendship she could've asked for. She didn't just make it stumble, she _ruined_ it; utterly and completely ruined it. With a roar, Piper drew New Side and charged forward. So Pasiphae wanted to call her a monster? Well, then Piper would gladly deliver.

Piper slashed Pasiphae right in the chest, spraying blood all over her body. Pasiphae was so shocked at the sudden assault that she couldn't even react as Piper kept on slicing. Again and again and again, she cut into the witch, nearly severing limbs. Pasiphae stumbled backwards, and Piper climbed on top of her and kept going. She took New Side in both of her hands and jacked away at her head and chest, again and again. She kept going for…gods, she didn't even know. It could've been five hours for all she knew.

Regardless, she didn't stop of her own accord; she was tackled away. It was by an enemy, however, but by Jason. There they were, face-to-face. She just waited for him to push her away. She waited for him to denounce their friendship and any association with her, with any of them. Heck, she even expected him to throw her away into Tartarus like the monster she was. He didn't do any of those things.

Instead, he brought her into a hug. "Gods, Piper…I can only imagine what you went through to push you that far…" he said, voice surprisingly soothing, given the battle going on around them. The tears burst then. Piper dropped New Side and returned the hug, bawling into his shoulder. "I wish you'd have told me…I wish I'd have asked…you were alone and it was all my fault…gods, Piper, I'm sorry…"

Again, Piper lost track of the flow of time. It felt like five hours that they were like that. And all that time, she kept repeating, over and over, "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Piper. It's alright. I promise that everything's okay…you don't have to be alone anymore…I promise that I'll be by your side as much as I can," he assured. Eventually, they separated, and Jason put a hand on her face to wipe away the tears from her eye. Gods, but he wanted to stay there and be there for her and comfort her for as long as she needed, but the battle had to be won first. "But…I…I hate to do this…I have to go now," he said. Piper nodded numbly, as words came to her head that she couldn't even have voiced.

 _Six pure forces and a light break through_

" _Jason…you are our light,"_ she thought in awe as he ran off, Regalius at the ready. Piper's war had been won. Now, for the beginning of the end.

xxxXXXxxx

Luke arrived just in time to ward off Sloth's attack, directed at the downed Leo. Bianca had been swatted aside previously, at the end of her rope in terms of her power output. The Giant quickly followed up, but Luke was quick to move Leo somewhere safe. The boy looked up gratefully. "Thanks…would've been done for."

Luke nodded, but just then, Bianca was sent flying up into the ceiling, where she crashed, made a small crater, and then plummeted. Luke went to catch her, but Sloth attacked again, blocking Luke off and sending her shooting toward Tartarus. _That_ was something that Luke couldn't allow.

He slowed down time as far as he dared and ran. He ran and ran and then finally caught her, just before she entered the threshold of hell. Luke _felt_ Tartarus' presence, this gnawing hunger for despair. If any of them were thrown in there…he probably wouldn't ever let them out. Luke could only imagine how Percy and Annabeth survived. He saw them fighting on the other side, and gods know he wanted to dash in there and get them out but he couldn't.

After setting Bianca down, Luke returned to the fray in a hurry, as Sloth had gone back to targeting Leo. The son of Hephaestus fired off blasts of fire, but they just fizzled out once they got close to the amorphous shadow that made up the Giant's body.

Once he arrived, Luke deflected each of Sloth's attacks, these tendrils of darkness that arced out to either stab or strike the enemy, and went ham with his own punches and kicks using his time dilation to dodge.

"Damn it, this isn't working!" Luke exclaimed.

"Nothing is!" Leo returned. "None of our attacks are doing anything!"

"Perish!" Sloth roared as his body began to glow a bright white.

"Everybody get down!" Luke yelled, pushing Leo to the ground as a massive beam of energy shot out from Sloth. It narrowly missed them, though that wasn't necessarily true. It would've hit the both of them, likely vaporizing them, had Jason not shot his own blast of wind to redirect it upward. The beam cut through the ceiling like butter, even bursting up through the ground, which lied far above.

Jason then went to work with fighting Sloth, but the result stayed the same, and Jason wasn't as fast as Luke without a build-up. Eventually, he was swatted away just like the rest of them. "Damn…not even a scratch…" he muttered, wiping some blood from his chin.

"Yeah, so he's strong…" Bianca struggled to her feet. "We might need some backup."

Luke looked around, and zeroed in on Tartarus. If they could just get Percy out here…but who could they spare? They could barely contain Sloth as it was with the four of them. "Piper!" Leo called back to her. The girl was just then getting to her feet. "Get Percy and Annabeth!"

The girl looked at them for a moment, a tired look about her, before she nodded. Taking a breath and steeling herself, she made a run, but not toward the Doors; to Pasiphae, whose body had been blasted away by the fight, now uninhibited by her magic.

"The notebook!" Sloth exclaimed, his tendrils extending out to strike at the daughter of Aphrodite.

"Don't let him get to her!" Luke called, and the others obliged. Leo blasted apart the cluster of tendrils as they passed, leaving Bianca and Jason to clean them up, shooting them away with their own respective elements. Luke went for Sloth himself, trying to distract him as much as possible.

"Pathetic demigods! You can't fight and defend at the same time!" Sloth claimed as he quickly redirected his attacks toward the Argo II crew, swatting aside Luke, Bianca, and Leo, and occupying Jason, who'd barely defended himself using his Regalius. "Even you can't be in two places at once, Aduro!" he said as his body began to glow white again, gearing up for his big attack, aimed right at Piper and the others who were still recovering.

Thus, Jason had a choice; defend Piper or Bianca and Leo. It was an impossible choice, and he refused to make it. Jason lit up his lightning, and prayed for a miracle.

But he didn't need one.

It could've been his training, it could've been inspiration, it could've been the adrenaline, but whatever it was; Jason knew _exactly_ what he was doing. Jason disappeared into thin air, right as Sloth's attack went off. Then, it passed back harmlessly. Leo and Bianca had been moved to the side to avoid it, and Piper had only felt a strangest sensation of being pushed forward. Then, before Sloth's attack ended, Jason was on him. Luke only saw the briefest flash of him being there, coated in lightning, before Sloth was hit was a massive flash of light.

The strangest part? The Giant was affected by this particular attack, lurching forward and grunting. At the time, before Piper got to the notebook, Jason didn't know why, but he stopped moving, limbs itching to move as soon as he stopped.

The demigod was panting, exhausted from his stunt, and yet he felt more alive in that moment than he had in years. He dashed forward again and disappeared. Using him time dilation, Luke could barely make out his movements as he went in to strike repeatedly, to no effect once again, but Sloth was unable to keep up at all. That was when Luke realized; Jason had reached a new level of power.

Just then, though, Piper grabbed the notebook, and made a mad dash for the Doors as she opened it. Meanwhile, Luke, Bianca, and Leo had rejoined the fray against Sloth, and they were largely back to square one, as they couldn't damage him anymore. It didn't take long before a torn piece flew out of the book's pages. Piper caught it and began reading. "Guys…guys! This tells us how to beat the Giants!"

"Great! How do we kill this one?!" Leo called back.

"It says to overpower him!"

"Tried that; didn't work!" the son of Hephaestus yelled back, releasing a huge wave of fire to ward off the army of tendrils going for him and Luke. Piper kept reading, after making it to the Doors. "Attack when he attacks, or else we need an immortal."

"But that's suicide!" Bianca claimed. "Anyone have a drachma?"

"We won't need one," Luke claimed, as his body glowed with a golden light.

"Luke, no!" Jason called, but he had no intention of stopping. He looked to Piper for help in reeling him in, but her attention had shifted to Tartarus, as she called for Percy to come to her. From the look of things, the son of Poseidon had other plans, which was impossible given her Charmspeak. Then again, Jason may have been seeing things.

"It's alright," Luke assured. "I've accepted the monster that's inside of me now."

With that, he summoned Kronos' scythe, appearing in a blinding flash of golden light. "N-no…you will _not_ defeat me!" Sloth roared, sending a wave of tendrils toward him. Luke slashed them all to bits with his scythe, and then charged the Giant, making a massive gash in his spectral body. The giant roared with anger.

Seeing this gave Jason a rudimentary idea. As far as plans went, this wasn't the most sophisticated, but it would likely do. "We all need to hit him with everything we've got!" he called. With any luck, Luke's immortal energy would supplant itself within the others' attacks as well. "At the count of ten! Get ready!" he said, rising into the air and charging a lightning bolt. "One, two!"

"Three, four!" Luke charged as he warded off tendrils.

"Five, six!" Leo burst into the air, his flames going white hot from his own build up.

"Seven, eight, nine…" Bianca removed her blindfold, and that was all the build-up she needed.

As they were doing this, Sloth glowed white. "If I'm dying, I'm taking all of you with me!"

"Now!" Jason roared, and then the room was engulfed in bright light.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Confession; I hate this chapter so much...that's not entirely true.**

 **I wrote the first half of this chapter, detailing Piper's mental battle with Pasiphae where she chooses to save the day rather than her secret, and it was really good and solid and stuff...and then the next morning, my computer had auto-updated and deleted over 2600 words i.e. all of that conflict. Needless to say, I was irked. I rewrote it, though I personally liked the original, and now I'm just super bitter. Objectively, I think it's fine.**

 **A quick note, however; you guys have made your dislike of Jason's treatment of Piper loud and clear and parts of Jason's personality in general. The reason for your dislike is fascinating and I believe multi-faceted having to do with your own values conflicting with the ones I'm portraying with Jason, though I'm likely entirely wrong about that and I'm talking out of my ass lol.**

 **What I will say is that, in hindsight as I look back on their interactions...I understand where you're coming from. I was going for a kind of unspoken trust between the two, which I think can work under the right lens, but under the wrong lens (wrong is relative, you didn't read it the wrong way or anything) it might come off as...apathetic.**

 **Long story short, while I'm unable to completely rework their relationship...we'll say I added a scene next time to flesh it out and grow them closer. Plus, it gives me drama for The Blood of Olympus. Cards on the table, I only had the major moments planned out for that, so I desperately needed filler character stuff lol.**

 **Anyway, that was long, and the next note will be much longer, so yeah. Starting tomorrow, since I've recovered enough to where I have a reasonable amount of energy during the day, I'll be responding to reviews regularly again.**

 **Thanks for reading! I'll see you tomorrow for the finale of The House of Hades!**


	64. Stronger Together

"How do we want to play this?" Percy asked as they looked out across the valley of monsters. The location was odd, and the closest thing Percy could think of in comparison was Edoras from The Lord of the Rings films, except that still wasn't entirely accurate, not least because that place was beautiful and this was hellish beyond compare.

The Doors were situated at the far end of the valley. Leading up to them was a massive sloped hill, an uneven slope mind you, with various smaller paths leading up to them. Below that was the army of monsters, forming a rough circle around the hill in the valley, and beyond that was several cliff faces.

From where they found this place, which was at the only entrance where the cliffs broke, creating an opening, they'd had to move. Several monsters were periodically sent out in search parties, patrolling not only the entrance, but the cliffs surrounding it. What impressed them the most was that the monsters had even built these rudimentary elevators to travel from the bottom to the top of the cliffs.

Point is, though, that they had to move. They ended up making their way to the tops of the cliffs themselves, as they only dropped off sharply into the valley; the other side was simply a fairly tough hike up. Once they reached the top, they made their way around to get a better look at the area, eventually finding a few outcroppings that they could use.

Annabeth used the magic string she'd found during the trials to rappel them down to one, where they now lay crouched and somewhat hidden. They didn't know how long it would take for a patrol to notice them, but it was the best they could manage.

"Well…all we need to do is get to the Doors, right?"

"In theory," Percy replied. "You have to wonder why these monsters haven't gone through yet."

"My guess? Either Tartarus or Pride won't let them," Annabeth said. "At least, I hope so. Otherwise, they could just follow us through the Doors."

"I just hope nobody is on the other side…"

"With our luck, I doubt it," she continued surveying the area. "The way I see it, we've got three options. First, we go for a direct assault. You can make me a weapon, and then we push through until we either die or make it through. Second, we could sneak around, see the rivers? They're all converging into the hill that has the Doors. So we could go into the hill and tunnel back up right at the Doors."

"I don't…I don't know about that. It was hard enough getting out of the river before."

"And I'm betting the other rivers will be just as hard to get out of…" Annabeth agreed. "Okay then, third plan…and I don't like this one…one of us creates a distraction. The other one flees to the other side, gets the rest on the Argo, and come back for the distractor."

"…"

"…I told you I don't like it."

"But it's the one with the highest likelihood of succeeding," Percy concluded. "…Maybe we should wait a bit longer, see if the others show up to help?"

"How long do you think we can stay hidden?" Annabeth wondered. "If we're going to do that, we need to keep our eyes on the Doors, but to do that, we need to see them, and anywhere where we can see them is being patrolled," She made a fair point, which left the first and third plans to choose between. "The direct assault won't work either," Annabeth pointed out, just remembering something.

"What? Why not?"

"Because there's a Titan down there, and I can't fight Titans. Not to mention, you can't fight them either, when you have to worry about protecting me."

"But Annabeth-"

"Remember what happened last time, on the bridge?" Percy grimaced at the battle's mention. They'd lost Michael Yew, Ethan was blinded, Clarisse appeared to have died, and all in all they lost a third of the fighting force they brought. All because Percy wanted to push an offensive against the Titans, rather than defend like they were supposed to do.

A big part of their failure was that Percy simultaneously tried to solo Prometheus, while defending everyone, specifically Annabeth. The result was that _she_ had to take a poisoned knife meant for him. Even though they won the war…if that battle hadn't occurred, then Winona wouldn't have turned out so…bitter. She'd lost her first love and been taken away before she could try and heal him.

All of the baggage from that battle put a sour taste in Percy's mouth, and especially as Annabeth continued with, "You've never done well with other people; you fight better alone."

Percy bit his lip. " _Never played well with other people…then how are we supposed to work together with the baby?"_ he thought. He shook his head; they needed to live to see the kid before they worried about raising it. "Then I guess that leaves plan C."

"I'll distract," Annabeth said.

"What? No, I'll distract.

"Percy…"

"Annabeth, I…you said yourself that you can't fight a Titan in a straight-up fight."

"I never said I would fight," Annabeth pointed out. "And besides, you're more likely to survive once you get out. What if there's some insanely powerful monster waiting for us on the other side; you don't think Pride will have planned for unwanted escapees?"

"But…"

She put a hand on his cheek in an effort to calm him down. "It'll be alright," she assured. "I'll be fine, just don't miss your chance to-"

He grabbed her hand, pressed it to the ground (which probably cut it up a bit), and secured it there with his water. "Sorry, Brighteyes, but I'm not risking it," he said, jumping down before she could argue. He heard her cursing at him on his way down.

Her yelling was what initially caught the attention of the monster army. When Percy landed, he didn't wait to make some quippy remark. By the time he would have landed, the water he'd restrained Annabeth with would've fizzed out, so she would've been free.

Percy created his blades of water and began hacking through the monsters before they could get ready. Even this was a bit of a struggle, as he barely managed to maintain the blades' forms as he used them. Percy did what he could to minimize his power usage, but with hundreds of monsters swarming him, he ended up having to blast a group away every couple of seconds.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth slip down the cliff and begin making her way around the bulk of the army, ducking behind rock formations and hiding in small alcoves in the hillside. Meanwhile, Percy had sufficiently 'distracted' the army, and was about to start leading them away from the Doors, hoping that they would all follow him.

That was when the Titan emerged. He attacked in a flash, sending his unique projectile toward Percy as he was busy fending off a dozen Drachanae. It struck him in the side, embedding itself underneath the skin, sending a wave of pain through the son of Poseidon's torso. Percy started to keel over, and then was attacked the monsters he'd been fighting, getting a few cuts on his face and arms before he blasted them away using his water to give himself some breathing room. In his distress, Percy's blades disappeared, having fallen from his grasp.

The monsters went to attack again. "Hold!" Percy heard his new opponent call, as he parted the monsters before him. His tiger-like eyes were the first thing Percy noticed, boring into the demigod like the feline did its prey. The twelve-foot body was also familiar, only it had a new scar, or rather, a burn. Last time, Percy and Thalia had blasted him into Tartarus, where he now resided. Now, he bore a massive black scorch mark on his chest, appearing almost like a tattoo.

Iapetus the Piercer seemed almost happy to see the son of Poseidon.

"I see the Cruel Spider has come to visit me. How thoughtful," his icy-cool voice hadn't bothered Percy before. Now, as weak as he felt, Percy couldn't help but shiver at it.

Percy stood, fighting against the searing pain raging through his body. "That name is old news; haven't you heard?"

"Oh, I have. The 'Titan Slayer'…it's got a nice ring to it; you must be proud to have achieved something thought impossible for a mortal."

"I'm not in the mood for games, you bastard. I know you want me dead."

"I do," Iapetus said, smiling his odd, feral smile. "But the Giants want you alive. If I kill you, they'll kill me. On the other hand, is being trapped in here even living? I wonder which thought will win out in our glorious battle."

"I killed Atlas," Percy reminded him. "And you're not even close to him."

"I'm well aware of your feat. But then, you aren't nearly as… _able_ as you were then, are you?"

It was somehow about how the Titan said it, but as he said 'able,' Percy felt a wave of lightheadedness strike him. Iapetus had called his bluff; Percy knew he wouldn't be able to keep up a fight for long without collapsing. The presence of Tartarus had weakened him far more than he could've imagined. If he had a chance at surviving this encounter, he needed to kill Iapetus as fast as possible, and then run from the monsters. Annabeth must've been getting close to the Doors by then.

Percy's hand twitched as he tried to summon some amount of strength to feed off of, but it wasn't coming. His adrenaline had faded quickly, and it would take a moment or two to build it back up again. He didn't try to make and maintain swords. He had a few cuts, but making weapons out of blood was never an option; he'd pass out before he could use them. Instead, Percy created what water he could and curled it around his hands, to empower his fist, or if he made a blade shape, it might just be hard enough to act as the tip of a sword.

"Let's start," Iapetus said as he readied himself.

"Let's finish!"

Percy dashed forward to engage, weaving around Iapetus' projectiles, which were nails that he shot out from his own that dug into the skin. He made it to the Titan without being hit, by some miracle, and went to work dismantling his defenses. Percy was faster, much faster, though the exertion from keeping up that speed was _already_ taking its toll on the demigod.

Percy forced Iapetus back, waiting for the adrenaline to pick up. None of the monsters attacked, which was odd. They seemed to be waiting for one of them to fall, and then they'd strike should Percy be the one standing.

Slowly, Percy felt strength return to his limbs, and instead of tiring out right away, the blood pumping through his arms and legs empowered him, if only briefly. He needed to hurry and finish things.

He pushed the Titan to a wall on the hill, though he was sloppy, allowing the Titan to redirect and bash Percy to the wall in turn. When he did, Percy felt one of the rivers coursing through the material. Percy could use that, somehow.

He slipped between Iapetus' legs and dragged his arms forward, feeling an intense tug in his gut. Tendrils of water shot from the wall and grabbed Iapetus' arms and legs. Percy whirled around to tighten his restraints. Percy ran forward, tightening the water's grip as much as he could and then built up power.

He formed a knife shape with his hands and then shoved them into the Titan's chest, right where his heart would be, the water searing into the skin and making bursts of steam shoot out. Iapetus roared in pain and anger, as Percy literally ripped and tore the Titan's skin and nerves and muscle apart, until he could see the beating of the Titan's heart.

Right then, Iapetus broke free, shooting several more nails. Again by a miracle, none of them hit Percy. He leapt backward to allow time to avoid them, before shooting out a burst of water to push him forward. Once he built up momentum, he centered all of his power into his right hand, weaved under Iapetus' attempt at grabbing him, and brought his hand up into the exposed wound.

The force of the blow was much more than Percy was expecting, sending the both of them shooting into the wall and cracking it; Percy didn't think he had that much energy left in him, and yet he continued surprising himself. Once everything settled, the Titan sunk into a limp state, and ceased moving.

Percy stood there in shock; had it really been that easy? He was expecting everything to go wrong, everything to take much longer and be much more draining than it ended up being. Only…something was wrong. Iapetus' body wasn't disappearing. When immortals die, whether via another immortal or if their essence is scattered by a mortal, their bodies burst like a monster's. But that didn't happen.

Percy was about to try and finish the job, when he was surprised. Before his eyes and in an instant, Iapetus' muscle and skin regenerated, with Percy's hand still embedded inside it. "W-what?" Percy put his other hand against the Titan's chest to yank his arm out, when it was grabbed, by the Titan.

"Heheh…" Iapetus chuckled. "It is Tartarus' energy that reforms us within him. With Tartarus all around us…I need not be dispersed in order to be _reborn_!"

The Titan lurch forward, head crashing against Percy's own, which sent the demigod's vision to all hell. Black spots enveloped him as he felt the sensation of moving, of being lifted up. Hand still impaled in the Titan's chest, Percy couldn't even feel his heart, as if it'd moved to somewhere else on a whim.

"I don't care how many times I must die; you will _perish_ this day, Titan Slayer!" Iapetus grabbed Percy's other arm and squeezed and yanked it in a swift motion. Percy felt an ungodly pain erupt from it as it was simultaneously shattered and freed from the Titan's skin. He let out a blood-curdling cry of agony as he dropped to the ground.

The Titan then kicked him up into the air, knocking the wind from his lungs, before grabbed his legs and throwing him into the very wall that Percy had been knocking him into just seconds prior. Iapetus then punched him further into the wall, letting its texture of broken glass dig into his skin.

"Come now…where's all of that inner strength I've heard so much about?" the Titan mocked.

Percy summoned what must've been the last of his energy to control the river, making it rise from the ground in front of him. "It's right behind you," Percy growled. Iapetus whirled around, but was too late to not be grabbed and yanked off of the demigod. Percy fell to the ground in a run, willing the water to smash the Piercer into the wall like the last time.

Percy ran; if Iapetus couldn't die, then he knew he couldn't win this fight. With any luck, Annabeth would've already made it out, which meant that his job was done anyway. Unfortunately, Percy didn't make it very far.

Even if he'd been watching and waiting for them to come, Percy doubted he could've dodged Iapetus' nails. The first one impaled itself into Percy leg, making him stumble and try to turn around to attempt a defense. Right as he did, a second one nailed him (no pun intended) in the face, embedding itself in his forehead. Percy's good arm was next, with it being hit as it went up to hold his face from the sudden pain.

Percy collapsed to the ground, the pain so intense that he couldn't focus on anything else. He couldn't even scream; all he could manage were choked gargles. In the moment, it felt like Percy would never be able to move again, simply from the shock. He may have been injured worse, say after he fought Atlas, but he had _never_ been in this much pain. And yes, that includes when he received and subsequently lost the Achilles Curse.

"Percy!" he heard his name called, though he barely registered it. It wasn't Annabeth's voice either, but another girl's. Gods, but it was familiar. And it was coming from…the Doors.

Iapetus chuckled as he approached. He didn't boast or do any evil villain peacocking. Instead, he went to work in hurting Percy even further. He grabbed the man by the hair, lifted him up, and threw him back into the ground, the force creating a crater. Iapetus did that a few times before he grew bored of that.

"Percy, get up! We need you!" he heard the girl call. Instinctually, he tried, but no matter how hard he tried, his limbs just wouldn't work. His adrenaline had run out, and the emergency power that came with it was gone as well. He was helpless. But so long as Annabeth got away, he was okay with that.

"I will enjoy breaking you, Cruel Spider," Iapetus grabbed him and brought him into something like a bear hug, only this wasn't a gesture of love. Instead, Iapetus squeezed until Percy felt his bones begin cracking. With each one, he let out a cry and agony. From when it began to when it ended, it could've been six years for all Percy knew. And with each little pop, another round of anguish surged through him. "I wonder how many bones I must break as payment for the harm done to my brethren?"

"Try none!"

Iapetus lurched forward, loosening his grip a bit, involuntarily. He whirled around, but he found no trace of what hit him. Instead, he started reaching around and on his back, where Annabeth was clawing and slashing and punching; probably more of an annoyance than anything.

Upon seeing her, Percy's emotions flared. " _Why? Why is she still here? She was supposed to be long gone by now…"_ he thought, though with the new adrenaline, he managed to stay upright a bit. It didn't help though, as Iapetus grabbed Percy by the foot and used him to swat Annabeth off. In a rage, and probably not intentionally, Iapetus threw Percy up the hill, right onto a clear path to the Doors.

Percy, by his final miracle of the day, landed on his feet, but that didn't help all that much. He thought he was going to run back and help her, but…this would count as her distraction, right? Either way, he stumbled and then fell to his hands and knees.

"Ooh, tough break," a voice was heard to his left. When he looked, Tartarus himself was there, a smirk on his face.

"Percy!" the voice called again, and he barely made out that it was Piper. Percy saw not only her, but a desperate battle happening just outside the Doors. They really needed his help, from the look of things. "Please, come on! Come here!" she ordered.

Her Charmspeak was certainly powerful, and he started to crawl toward her, but the thought of Annabeth fighting that monster held him back. "Your choice, kid," Tartarus claimed. "Your final choice; it's all been leading up to this moment. Hero of One, or the Hero of All but One. Choose!"

"Percy, come here!" Piper called again, though at that point, the son of Poseidon didn't even hear her.

Blood roared in his ears, sweat drenched his face from expending so much excess energy, maybe even more than the stunt that cost him his powers for a year and a half. With a yell that oozed frustration, rage, confusion, indignation, and determination, Percy burst into a run. Not towards the Doors, but back towards the fight with Iapetus.

Percy willed blades to appear, not that he had any business summoning them with how weak he was at that point. One was gripped into his good hand (good being relative here). He ignored the burning pain in his limbs, his face, and his side from the nails. He ignored the ungodly pain from his shattered arm. He focused all of his attention on the fight. He focused all of his attention on Annabeth, on saving her. He roared, leaping up over the ledge above them, and then landing a flying kick onto Iapetus' face, sending him flying away.

"Percy!" Annabeth cried. "What are you-" she was interrupted as the second sword Percy made flew into her hands. He grinned; he _dared_ to grin, as tears poured from his eyes.

"Remember what you said before, about how I don't do well with others? I _can't_ be like that anymore, Brighteyes. _We_ can't be like that anymore; we need to be stronger together! I need you to dance with me."

As he finished, the Titan, along with the army of monsters, converged on their position. Everything turned to chaos, and yet for Percy, things had never been clearer. Despite the roaring of his blood blocking out everything, despite the pain tearing his concentration away at every corner, he'd never felt more alive, more connected to Annabeth, than when they were tearing through monsters and beating away a Titan.

Each time Percy faltered, Annabeth picked up the slack, and every time she became overwhelmed, Percy made sure to back her up and even the odds. They managed to survive long enough to get close to the Doors, but Iapetus wasn't about to let them leave.

"Hit him with everything we've got!" Annabeth called. Percy nodded, the two crossed blades. Percy willed all of the rest of his energy into them, making them glow sea-green. They spun around to build up momentum as Iapetus charged, before slashing upward. The burst of power, it was more of an explosion in effect, sent Iapetus miles away, and most of the monsters that were around them to dust, though they'd reform within a few seconds.

For Percy and Annabeth, it blasted them clear away from the fight. Annabeth was the one that had to hold onto Percy, to stay together, as they flew up over the hill and straight through the Doors. Somehow, they'd made it out together.

And they arrived to see the largest display of demigod power (plus a Titan's) that the world had ever seen in one place.

Luke fired off his blast first, thrusting his hand forward, seemingly feeding power off of Kronos' scythe, as this mass of white light fired its own blast. Jason followed, sending a continuous, concentrated blast of lightning, appearing as if it were just a beam of white light. Leo was next, shooting off his own white blast in the form of his white-hot flamethrower. Bianca finished up by letting loose her shadows in a way that Percy hadn't seen her use before. Rather than as hands or as spikes or something sadistic like that, she joined that crowd and released her shadows as a beam of her godly energy. The four demigod (and Titanic) powers collided and combined before they met the opponent's, and when they did, well…let's just say the demigods had no chance of losing.

The blast engulfed the room in a shower of color and power. To kill a Giant, it must've been several fathoms more powerful than even Zeus' Master Bolt or any of the god's divine forms. Not only did it vaporize most of the wall, going back until they only saw a black void and likely further beyond, but it also shot into the Doors, incinerating and warding off any monsters that dared try and pursue Percy and Annabeth. Thankfully, Piper had run out of the way beforehand.

It took everyone a minute to realize that the battle had been won. Somehow, by the skin of their teeth, they'd survived. They might've celebrated, if Death himself hadn't appeared before them.

"Thank you, young demigods," he said in Reyna's voice. "You've done Olympus a great service today. But I fear…your work is not done yet."

"We know," Jason said, stepping in front of Luke. "The other Giants are still out there."

"That is not what I was referring to," Thanatos claimed, now with Jason's voice. "The Doors were opened, and now…they must be closed."

"…How?"

"So long as I am here, all I would need is two other sets of hands," he said. "One must close it from this side, and the other must close it from the other side, and hold it for twelve seconds."

And with that, any semblance of joy from this victory was washed away. Here they were, having just defeated a Giant and arguably the most powerful witch in Greek myth, and now, they'd been told that they were going to lose one of their own indefinitely. That it was required for true victory.

The crew looked around at each other. Before anyone could argue, Luke stepped forward. "No," Percy said immediately, though he was barely conscious at this point. Annabeth had already been knocked out from the impact of landing here. "You-"

"I don't want to hear it, Percy," Luke said, walking toward the Doors. He stopped at its threshold, feeling how much hatred Tartarus held for Kronos' presence. Percy stumbled to his feet, intending to yank him away.

"I said no!" Percy yelled as Luke stepped through. Percy crashed into the threshold, but something was holding him back, likely Tartarus himself. "Luke, no! You were given a second chance! Why would you throw it away?!"

"Luke…" Jason seemed equally as shocked and hurt.

"Luke, no," Piper begged. The son of Hermes gave them a small smile and a nod.

"Guys, it's okay. You all…you all were the best friends I could've asked for. You gave me my chance at redemption, and for that, I'm eternally grateful. I love each and every one of you…but I've come far enough. You all have lives to return to. I don't. This quest _is_ my life."

"But…that's not fair…" Percy felt ears trickle down his cheeks. "That's not fair!" he cried. He didn't know what else to say.

"Nothing about our lives is," Luke reminded him. "Hey, Percy…you need to promise me something."

"…" he managed a weak nod.

"Promise me that you'll give your kid a better life than we had, that both of the parents will be around?"

"I…I'll try…" Percy said.

Another smile, as Thanatos appeared behind Luke, putting a hand on his shoulder, prepared to take him back to the Underworld. "…what's the name?" Luke asked.

Percy's lip quivered as the Doors began to close. "…Boy or girl?"

"Girl, a beautiful baby girl."

"Her name is…Lucy…after you."

Luke seemed a bit stunned by that, but as the Doors closed, and Percy could only see the unscarred side of his face, he chuckled.

"Take care of her."

And then the Doors closed.

Luke heard an army of monsters approach behind him. "It's time," Thanatos said, in Percy's voice.

"Hey, you said it yourself," Luke said, though he felt another presence behind him. Kronos appeared in Luke's body, likely separated briefly due to Tartarus and his games. " _ **Give us twelve seconds,**_ " they said in unison, before yelling and releasing all of their energy to destroy the army that had attacked.

With a brief count to twelve, the Doors sealed and then disappeared, and Thanatos and Luke disappeared along with it.

xxxXXXxxx

Out of all of them, Leo was perhaps the least affected by the loss of Luke. Still, he remained silent. The weight of his sacrifice was far greater than any of them could've imagined. Jason was the first to recover, in an attempt to offer some consolation. He put a hand on Percy's shoulder; the man had just stood there as the Doors had vanished.

"I'm…sorry, but…he wanted you to live a full life," Jason offered. Percy didn't respond. At first, Jason assumed it was out of shock or grief, but when he collapsed onto the ground, he realized it was because Percy had passed out. As he landed, the building shook. It didn't take long for them to hear the pounding of footsteps far above them, like the army of monsters had been given the okay to charge in, not that some hadn't already. Jason looked around; the others seemed to have no intention of moving. "Guys, guys, I know this is hard to swallow, but we need to move."

"But…Luke…" Piper especially seemed distraught by his loss. She was on her knees, face buried in her hands, shaking her head as if trying to convince herself that it never happened. It took everything Jason had to resist the urge to go and stay with her. Gods know that was what he wanted, but he needed to wait until they were safe.

"Hey, do you think he gave up his second life so we could all be slaughtered down here?" Jason questioned, which was a bit harsh to say, but he needed to do something to get their feet moving. "We can mourn all we want once we get back to the Argo. Right now, I need all of you to listen to me, alright?"

It took them each a moment to process those words, but soon he had all of their attention.

"Okay here's the plan. My guess is that monsters are swarming the building as we speak. We need to get to the ground floor in one piece and then go from there. I know we're all tired, I know we're all somewhat injured, but we still need to give it a hundred-and-fifty percent, alright? I'll grab Percy. Piper, you grab Annabeth. Bianca, you bring up our rear in case something goes wrong. Leo, we run into any monsters; you turn them to ash, yeah?"

"I'm on it," Leo said, lighting his hand ablaze as Jason and Piper hoisted the unconscious demigods on their backs. With that, the group began moving. They didn't end up running into any enemies until they reached the tomb room, where a whole host of them had gathered.

It was here, as Leo blasted away the enemy as fast as they poured in, that Jason realized they didn't exactly have an exit. The hole the monsters had come from when they'd actually been fighting here had been blocked. The monsters were now coming from the corridors that Jason, Luke, Piper, and Bianca had come from. That left…

"Bianca, can you make a wall from around us to up there?" Jason asked, pointing up to the hole that Piper had fallen from.

"On it," she said, before digging her hands into the ground and making a literal wall of shadows around the group of six demigods. Jason flexed his arm and lifted Piper and Annabeth up and into the hole. Thankfully she found a foothold quickly. From there, Leo threw Bianca up into the hole with his mechanical arm, shot himself up, and Jason brought up the rear.

The four pounded through the hallway, which was barely lit by Leo's flame. Thankfully, to Piper, it was a lot less confusing. Before, Pasiphae's fake walls had forced her through a kind of maze. This time, it was just a simple straight corridor. They eventually came to that intersection that Envy had destroyed, though the monsters had simultaneously destroyed it further and cleared a path for themselves. Leo and Bianca went to work clearing a path through the mess of claws and wings, until Leo was continuing forward and Bianca was protecting their backside. They carved through the monsters for what felt like hours, before they eventually made it back up to the entrance, bursting through a dozen of them in a shower of fire.

Jason immediately noticed the monster army pouring into the building from a busted-open doorway, likely where Envy had escaped from. Jason threw out a gust of wind to blast the monsters guarding the doors, and ran out, only to be bombarded with arrows. The son of Jupiter leapt up and kicked with his wind, barely blowing away the rain of projectiles. "Get back!" he yelled to the others who had followed. Jason, in the brief respite between volleys, looked around the area to see that they were completely surrounded; there was no chance of escape on the ground, and Jason knew he couldn't support more than four bodies for any length of time, especially given how exhausted he already was from this series of encounters. That said, there was another way to get to higher ground…oh gods, but it was a stupid idea.

"Jason, look out!" Piper warned; he'd forgotten about both the army and the archer. Jason let loose a sonic scream, both blasting him back inside and warding off the enemy. Once he was in, Bianca brought up a wall of shadows to shield them. "Any ideas?"

"We're surrounded," Jason relayed. "And I can't get us all back up to the window or fly us out."

"So…what do we do?" Leo wondered. "Are we dead?"

"Not even close," Jason assured, his voice strong and confident. "I have an idea, but it's…really, really stupid."

"Good; you're thinking like a Greek," Bianca mentioned.

"I don't know if that's a good thing," Jason said, though he then told them his plan. "I _can_ carry Percy, Annabeth, Piper, and myself; barely, but I can do it. So here's what I'm thinking. Leo, do you think you could let off enough power to melt this place? At least the bottom of it?"

He gave a cocky grin. "Easy."

"Bianca, you need to contain it to this side, alright?" he pointed to the side with the monster entrance. "I'm going to blast open the other side and fly up as the tower falls that way. Leo, you threw Bianca up before; hang onto her this time and let her drag you up each balcony, remember those?"

"Yeah, the weird ones that aren't useful for anything."

"Well, we're making them useful," Jason said. "When we all get to the top, hopefully the tower will be low enough to where I can glide five people down safely; Leo, you're on your own, but I know you've got this."

"Damn straight! Is that the plan then?"

"Well, you were right; it _is_ stupid," Piper said.

"I know, but we can't waste any time," Jason agreed. He and Piper moved to one side of the wall as Leo built up energy and Bianca removed her blindfold. Leo turned back briefly, before it all burst out, and nodded to Jason, signaling for everything to start. Leo's flames exploded in synch with Bianca's shadows. The building rumbled dangerously, with it basically feeling like an earthquake. Jason looked up and saw the beginning of it tipping. He'd give it a little boost when he went out there.

He built up his own blast and shot a beam of lightning at the wall, making it explode out. He and Piper dashed out and leapt up, and Jason strained his wind to carry them up. It wasn't nearly as fast as he could go if he were only supported one or two people, but it was enough. With the power he had in reserve, he gave the tower a shove with his wind, further making it fall and topple in the right direction. Bianca and Leo ran out next, and after a brief moment of build-up, started scaling the balconies as planned.

The tower lurched and bent and fell slowly, until it was enough to run along, as if it were just a steep slope. And then he got another idea. Leo and Bianca had already taken to running, and so Jason lowered himself and Piper to run along with them. For a moment as he steeled his mind for what he was about to do, he heard the others shouting words of encouragement to each other as arrows rained around them and flying monsters made to dive onto their positions. Jason would be lying if he said hearing them helping each other wasn't music to his ears.

Jason held his hands out. "Grab onto me!" he yelled, figuring they were going too slowly. Remembering he'd never even thought about this, let alone attempt it, Jason added, "This might kill you all."

Jason called on that same power he'd used against Sloth to move at the speed of light and then expanded it. With any luck…yes! Jason had enough control to spread that power, albeit briefly and not as potent, to the others. Then, with a light push…

The demigods burst forward as streaks of light up the House of Hades. It took all of Jason's concentration to both keep it up and focus on where they were. The tower was still falling, and they'd make it to the end just in time with the perfect height. "Get ready!" he yelled as he released the power just as they came to the edge. With collective pushes and bursts with their powers, the demigods were launched off of the top of the tower.

Everything went to plan, except for the unexpected hail of arrows that was shot up at them right as they launched. Now Jason was left with a choice. He _knew_ he didn't have enough energy to carry five people _and_ ward off those arrows. Leo likely couldn't fly using his fire and blast them away. So he could either save Bianca, or…

Thankfully, he was spared that choice, as right as they jumped off, he heard with the most familiar voice, "Dive, Scipio!"

Jason wrenched his hand across the sky, and violent wind tore the arrows from it with ease. A lone Pegasus carrying Winona and Reyna soared down to catch the one person that Jason was unable to carry, and the now eight demigods flew over the hill and to the Argo. Once there, no reunions were allowed, as Leo immediately dashed to the controls, booted everything up, and they then tore off into the sky before the monsters could catch them.

They'd done it, finally. The battle was over, for now.

xxxXXXxxx

The crew barely spoke to each other before the Argo II stopped. The only major thing that happened was that Percy was rushed to the medical bay along with Winona so she could hopefully heal him; Annabeth was deemed not important enough, as her injuries were considerably milder and not lethal. Given the screams of pain that came from Percy, which could be heard all the way on deck, the process wasn't easy for him.

Finally, they stopped as they landed on a hill overlooking a valley. Jason didn't know where they were exactly, but it felt safe.

The crew didn't know what to do with themselves, really. Leo just fiddled with controls, not sure what to do. Piper sat against the railing, crying. Now that the danger had passed, she had every right to mourn Luke's death, as did all of them. Jason sat beside her, offering what little he could as comfort, as a shoulder to cry on. Piper kept berating herself, saying that crying was all she was good for, and Jason wanted _so_ badly to say otherwise. But he was afraid that if he spoke too soon, he might breakdown as well, and he couldn't afford that.

Instead, Jason hugged her tighter and tighter, hoping that that would be enough until they stopped. By the time that they did, Piper had stopped crying, which was surprising; Jason, if he'd had his way, felt as if he'd bawl his eyes out for days. And here she was, puffy-eyed and stuttering, but otherwise alright, or so she claimed.

"I need to tell you some things," she said finally. "Officially."

"…About your father?" Jason wondered. He'd seen the crash and the catalyst that caused it; Piper's Charmspeak. "..I get it, Piper. And I don't blame you for what happened."

"Well, you should," she spat. "I'm a murderer…a monster…"

"…" Jason considered those words for a minute. Whether or not Jason believed them to be true, Piper did. And that was important. "…I don't care," he concluded.

"What?"

"No horrible mistake is going to keep me from caring about you, Piper. Because even though you did that, even though you've had to live with that kind of guilt, you've still found time to help me through my problems…I think…I think I've done a bad job at showing my appreciation. You've always been there for me, and I wasn't as open or there for you when you needed someone. I'm sorry, but I promise that that won't happen again."

"…Can I hold you to that?"

"I promise," Jason repeated. Piper nodded, though Jason wanted to make sure that she was convinced. "Tell you what, if I break my promise, I'll…get a tattoo. On my face; whatever you want."

She laughed, likely imagining putting a phallic image on his forehead, and then nodded, smiling her beautiful smile. "…I love you, Jason."

He smiled back. "To you too."

The two were quiet were but a few seconds before Piper's face turned beat red. "I-I mean, platonically of course!" she corrected. Now it was Jason's turn to laugh. "What?"

"It's alright, Piper. I knew," he claimed. "And even if it's platonic, love can be real. I know it is for us…can that be enough?"

Piper's jaw separated a bit, just at the knowledge that he knew of her continued affections for him. Finally, she nodded again. She could feel that her face was still red, and she needed an out. She looked across the deck, only to see a bonafide praetor watching them skeptically.

Reyna had been watching the surrounding area, not having spoken a word to each other since her Pegasus landed on the Argo, though she and Annabeth had been keeping up a quiet conversation as Annabeth wrapped her wounds. After they stopped, Reyna's attention turned to her 'lad'.

"Hey, look, there's your girlfriend!" Piper exclaimed, standing. Jason stood along with her.

"Yeah, and she came all of this way…"

"If you spend too much time with me, she might get the wrong idea, and then she'd kill me. You should, uh…yeah, have fun!" she bounded off, feeling lighter somehow. Jason blinked, not expecting the conversation to end so abruptly. He would've happily stayed with her for a while longer.

Still, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to his next meeting. Taking a deep breath, Jason channeled his inner Roman. He wasn't going to wait any longer to have the relationship that he wanted.

Reyna seemed a bit apprehensive about their meeting, shuffling on her feet in a very un-Reyna-like way, once she saw him approach. "Now, listen lad, I-mmph!" she was surprised as the first thing Jason did was grab her by the waist and kiss her, bringing her as close as he could, showing no remorse. It was a while before they separated, with Annabeth whistling seductively. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "…Who are you?" she asked finally.

"I'm Jason Grace," he said as he picked her up, bridal-style. "And I know who I am now."

Reyna was obviously unprepared for this display, and her face turned bright red. "What's wrong?" Annabeth wondered as he carried her off.

"I think…I think I like this," she said, exasperated.

"I told you it was less fun to have a beta boyfriend," Annabeth called after them. Jason flew them up into the air to have a private moment together, after so long and after so much hardship. He felt no qualms about taking this time for himself. For the moment, with her in his arms, he could just focus on his girlfriend.

Nothing really happened again until they returned, though in the meantime, Annabeth had found Bianca and had her tell what had happened while they were in Tartarus. Bianca was a bit reserved as she told everything that'd happened, and Annabeth had a guess about why.

"So…why are you being so quiet? Is it because I've been in Tartarus? Do I stink that bad?" Annabeth wondered. "I-if it's about Rome, I don't-"

"It's not about Rome," Bianca said. "It's…I should've been the one to stay down there…not Luke…"

"Oh…" Annabeth took in a deep breath. "…There wasn't any right choice, B. You know that, right?"

"But…he was my responsibility. He…he deserved way more…"

"Hey, so do you. You're the one that was trapped by a Giant, remember? I think that earns you a few happiness points," the daughter of Athena offered. Bianca managed a nod, though seemed less than convinced. This was when Winona came out. Both girls stood immediately.

"How's Percy?" Annabeth questioned, obvious concerned.

"An uncountable amount of lacerations, bruises, bumps, etc. Four weird nails that I had to forcibly remove from his skin, causing more bleeding, a completely shattered arm, a major concussion, a huge amount of blood loss, and a massive amount of fatigue," Winona listed them off. "He took a beating, but he'll live…somehow. He's asleep right now, should be like that for a good day or two."

Annabeth sighed with relief, and then took off to see him. That left Winona and Bianca. They two stared at each other for a moment, with Leo and Piper watching (Piper had calmed down somewhat to be at least functional, and had been combing through Envy's notebook). Finally, Winona raised her hand and swatted Bianca across the face. The sound carried for a long time, but before it ended Winona had brought Bianca into a tight hug. She was crying.

"You blind idiot, I was _so_ worried about you…you could've been killed…"

Bianca, at first, didn't know how to react. She was still caught up on the whole 'Luke' thing, but now, she was faced with this. She couldn't do anything but cry as well and return the hug. The two stood there in each other's arms for a long while, enough time for Jason and Reyna to return.

Things settled down for a good hour or two and Reyna and Winona were shown the Athena Parthenos and brought up to speed about what had happened throughout the journey to the House of Hades. Jason made special mention of Nero and his heroism, and while it took Reyna a while to process and accept the new information, they both ended up vowing to spread the truth.

Finally, though, as everyone wrapped up their tales, the doors burst open. "No, stop, you're supposed to be in bed!" Percy had stormed out, with Annabeth being dragged as she tugged as his waist to little avail, since she was still exhausted and, unlike him, hadn't slept at all.

Everyone tensed up, with Winona and Jason getting to their feet. Winona marched over to him. "How are you even awake-" she began, though he swatted her aside without a second thought. Annabeth let go to help her up. Percy stomped up to Jason. The son of Jupiter saw what Winona was talking about with the weird nails; several new scars were visible, almost as much as the one on his neck; there was one on his arm and forehead that Jason could see, where it looked like a line of skin had been ripped from the surface.

"Where's my kid?" he demanded, voice dangerously low. Jason didn't answer for a moment, stunned at the question. It hadn't even occurred to him what the Titan Slayer's reaction might be to coming out of Tartarus; was _this_ the first thing he thought of? Even more so than just Jason general thoughts shifting, this gave him a reason to rethink his assessment of Percy. The son of Poseidon took his silence as insult, however. He grabbed Jason by the collar of his shirt, lifted him up, and shoved him into the wall behind him. "Where's my kid?! Where's my baby girl?!" his voice had risen to a yell. At the sudden physical threat, Jason slapped his hand off and blasted him away with his wind in one swift motion, sending Percy flying into the opposite wall.

He slammed into the wall, head first. Now, obviously, he wasn't at one-hundred percent. Percy knew that, but wasn't expecting to have been so, pardon the pun, winded by the attack. He gasped and stumbled to the ground, landing on one knee. Percy looked up, and saw Jason standing over him, eyes as vicious as ever; a fierceness that Percy matched easily. But how had he moved that fast? That wasn't possible, was it?

Percy expected Jason to hit him again, and for a fight to break out, and he would've been fine with that. He probably wouldn't win, in his condition, but he'd be damned if he didn't find out where his Lucy was. Instead, Jason kneeled down to Percy's level, put a hand on his shoulder, and offered a light smile. "It's alright, Percy," he claimed. "She's as safe as we could've made her."

While his niceties were unexpected, he didn't answer Percy's question. "Where is she?!" he growled.

"We gave her to the gods, to Hera," Jason explained. "They say she's in a stasis; she'll be exactly how she was when she was given to them. She's safe, I promise."

It took a moment for Percy to comprehend that; his child was safe in the hands of the gods. It could've been his recent breakdown, or a general humbling from his experience in Tartarus, or just his exhaustion, but for some reason, he was okay with this.

Winona rubbed her cheek where he'd struck her. "Jeez, how is it that you can stand so much and still hit me?" she complained. "Well…while we're all here…what are we going to do now?"

Eyes turned to Jason. "…My initial thought is to get the Parthenos back to Camp Half-Blood. This war is going to doom us all. But Zeus-"

"Lord Zeus," Reyna reminded him.

"I'll address _our_ gods as Lords and Ladies, thank you," he shot back, causing her to smirk in satisfaction. She didn't think she'd enjoy anyone talking back to her, but this kind of confidence…well, to any woman worth her salt, it'd be attractive. "Anyway, Zeus promised us help in the form of Pegasus, I'm guessing the original one, but he hasn't arrived yet. But it _is_ promised, so I don't think we should travel back at all ourselves. Piper, you've been looking through the book?"

She nodded and relayed the information. It was odd how confident she felt that she wouldn't slip up on her words. "Envy is a shapeshifting Giant. It's been keeping tabs and writing down entries on the other Giants, including their powers and what their weaknesses are. It also gives a kind of rating for how likely the Giant is to die, but…I don't get that part. Anyway, we have good news and bad news. The good news is that nothing is going according to plan for Pride. The bad news is that he can still accomplish his endgame, even now."

"And…what's his endgame?"

Piper took a deep breath, opened the book, and read aloud. "Quote; 'I'd at first assumed that spawning an unstoppable army of monsters, resurrecting his brethren, creating new brethren, destroying the camps, and toppling every Olympian was the entirety of the plan. While destroying Olympus is his mission statement, my God requires not only sustenance to his namesake of Pride, but also a cushion for his success. Should all go according to plan, then I will have played my part, and he will have brought back his mother,' end-quote."

The air changed, grew colder around them, literally. "He's…going to wake up Gaia?" Percy questioned. He knew that Gaea was the big-bad in that other timeline he'd experienced, but he didn't think…the Giants were already so powerful…

"How are we supposed to fight against a Protogenos?" Winona agreed.

"We might could trick her into assuming a mortal form; that would make her essentially just another goddess," Annabeth offered. "When Nyx did it, she ran on ichor and then Percy could-"

"That won't work," Piper claimed. She flipped through a few pages and then continued reading. "'My God calls it the Feast. All he needs is one opportunity; two powerful Greek demigods, the Titan Slayer and his lover, must be captured and drained of their life energy, in order to wake up his mother, in a ritual on Mt. Olympus. Then, in her dopey, half-asleep state, he will forcibly take control of her mind. With Gaia under his foot, my God will have little difficulty in destroying Olympus. While even he admits that he could likely accomplish his goal without her help, he says that it will all but ensure his victory. As for why he needs Greek demigods, he claims that while they're mentally stronger, they're also much more susceptible to change, less rigid, and thus easier to manipulate, especially under the specific circumstances he had set up. As for his particular choice of demigods, he informed me of a little-known aspect of demigod power. While it can be measured in many ways and in many formats, pure divine energy of the godly body is gained by demigods, but not in regular humans, for obvious reasons (though in rare cases humans develop or glean some of this energy, thus making them Clear-sighted). An example is when they're informed of their demigod status; they're told that their scent grows stronger, but to be more specific, their distinct divine energy first fully manifests itself internally in that moment, thus making their 'scent' stronger. In turn, as they grow and train and age, and especially for those demigods chosen to accomplish nigh impossible tasks in the form of quests, all while being aware of and likely delving into their roles as heroes and legends, their energy increases. This is why the outside world becomes increasingly more dangerous as a demigod ages; not only because they get past their prime, but their 'scent', their power or energy, continually rises without end. At the time, the most powerful demigods on the Greek side would be the Titan Slayer and his lover who are both born of prominent and powerful Olympians, have known of their status for an extended length of time, and have participated in many more quests and harrowing encounters than most demigods experience in a lifetime. This is all he has told me of the Feast. Other than using me for my part, he plans to be alone when it happens, for should it fail and he perishes, his brethren will finish the fight in his place.'"

Piper then flipped back towards the front of the book. She knew what Jason was going to ask next. "You said it has entries on the Giants with their weaknesses, right? What are they?"

She nodded and began reading them off, starting with Gluttony's, and then Sloth's. "I don't think Envy finished," Piper said. "It's missing one for itself, and one for Greed, who we haven't even encounter once yet, and Pride."

"That leaves Lust and Wrath," Jason said. Piper read off Lust's, about his suggested strategy of defeat, to trick him into splitting his priorities. That gave Jason an idea, but he held off until Piper read Wrath's.

"Polybotes: Wrath

The Giant made to be Poseidon/Neptune's bane. Originally, had the strength of a Giant, but no other notable abilities. After being revived by Pride, he was granted a single new power and one that came with a great cost. The power comes from a mixture between Mars', Bellona's, and Bacchus' children. Wrath is a berserker. At the cost of much of his mental capacity save for following orders, he was given insurmountable strength, speed, durability, and stamina, far surpassing that of a normal Giant, let alone a god or mortal of any sort. There is little else to be said; he is a monstrous, killing machine. His role in the Giant War was at first to retrieve the Greek exchange demigod at part of Juno's gambit, but when that failed, he was instead tasked with toppling Neptune's kingdom. In its entirety. It will likely accomplish that by the Feast.

Strengths: ultimate killer. While he can barely think and can no longer even speak, Wrath is fully capable of fighting, even of strategizing. In the end, there is little that anyone can do to stop him should he acquire a target. To my knowledge, no known weapon save for the Big Three's weapons and the other Giants' attacks even damage him.

Weaknesses: if I had to say, it would be his single-mindedness. While there is little hope of surviving an encounter with Wrath, those that he isn't focused on can usually get out okay. Though, that isn't necessarily a weakness. The only reasonable hope of defeating Wrath in straight combat is to utilize a whole host of god-tier opponents going all out with no remorse. Though, even if all of the gods fought together, I'd put my money on Wrath even then.

General personality traits include: none; he is a machine with no soul at this point.

Suggested strategy of defeat: overpower him. Even then, you will likely perish, though there is, to my knowledge, a single possibility. According to Pride, godly weapons were made to have their capabilities capped when used by immortals, in order to limit their power as per the request of the Protogenoi. Given that it's never been done, if a mortal tried using a god's weapon…no. the mortal would be vaporized instantly upon use, without _even_ using it should they not be claimed by the god in question, and Wrath would likely have killed the mortal long before they have the opportunity to use it.

Overall chance of being killed during Giant War: 2/10. Wrath has little else but combat. Outside of combat, it'd be next to impossible to generate enough power to kill it, and inside of combat, it would likely kill anyone before they could even try. Avoid Wrath at all costs."

Piper closed the book, having finished reading all of the relevant information. The eight demigods were quiet, letting everything sink in. Annabeth grasped Percy's hand, as he was just told that his father was basically going to die. Period. He shook his head, not even able to picture how strong Wrath was. He gained a newfound respect for Jason, Piper, and Leo; they'd somehow survived an encounter with him.

"We need to forget about Wrath," Jason spoke up, surprising everyone. "We have bigger problems to worry about."

"The war," Reyna agreed.

"We need to stop it before we worry about anything else," Winona said.

"Actually…I have a crazy idea," Jason said. "You said Lust was guarding the east coast, right?"

Reyna nodded. "He tried to stop us from leaving; would've slaughtered us if my mother hadn't arrived to save our skins."

"And he took over the Underworld, right? You'd think he would have guards there."

"You'd think," Percy said, crossing his arms.

"Here's my idea. Once Pegasus arrives and takes the Parthenos, we could clear him a path to Camp."

"…How?"

"The book said to attack from two fronts. So, we could have a team down in the Underworld, wreaking havoc there and forcing him to either go there or summon enough familiars to fight us off. Then, we have a second team securing the east coast and causing havoc there."

"So we split his priorities," Percy caught on. "But then, we'd need enough juice to kill him from either party, depending on where he ends up staying to fight."

"And we still need to keep the Argo moving toward Mt. Olympus; I'm guessing the Feast is taking place on the original mountain," Annabeth pointed out. "What's the fastest route?"

"Forget the fastest, what's the safest?" Percy argued. "Whoever stays is going to be lacking a lot of firepower."

"Then overland isn't the best," Piper claimed. Leo asked Festus for a map. "There," Piper pointed at the Rion-Antirion Bridge, in the Gulf of Corinth. "We probably won't get far before you guys get back. Once you do, we can cut across into the North Euboean Gulf and go up from there," she suggested. Jason nodded.

"In the short time we have to plan, I'd say that's good enough, he said. "I volunteer to go to the Underworld."

"So do I," Percy agreed.

"What?"

"Not happening."

"You'd be asking for death if you go."

Most everyone disagreed with his decision. Jason just stared at him. "…You remember your promise to Luke?" he asked.

"Of course I do. But I've got friends down there that need to be set free," he said. Jason nodded, reached into his back pocket, and pulled out the vial he received from Hermes. "In an emergency, I'll give you this. Otherwise, you're only backup. I'm not letting you die that easily, you hear?"

"Don't push me, Grace," Percy warned.

"Okay," Jason turned to the others. "That's enough power for this team, assuming Envy was right about the energy needed to kill him being lowered if he's using up his energy to summon familiars."

"I'll go on the other team," Bianca said. "My bet is that you guys will need a jump into and out of the Underworld. That means I can't shadow-travel too much more, but there _is_ an entrance to the Labyrinth that we could use, somewhere nearby."

"If you're going, then so am I," Winona said. "You're not getting out of my sight anytime soon."

"I need to stay to fly the Argo," Leo said. "Sorry."

"Not a problem; Godspeed."

"I'll stay too, my powers aren't for killing Giants," Piper said.

Eyes turned to Annabeth. She shrugged. "I'm not as stupid as my boyfriend; I wouldn't be much help in a fight right now, so I'll stay."

That left Reyna. "I'll go with the lasses," she said. "It should be a Roman to deliver the Parthenos back to its rightful owners."

"Honorably said," Jason said as he stood. He put his hand out, and looked at the others. "Guys, this is the beginning of the end. This is the end times. If this operation fails, we probably lose for good. But I know we can win this. I'm willing to put everything on the line for this opportunity to kill another Giant. I know that that's what our ancestors would do. I know that's what Luke would want us to do," Jason claimed. Percy stood next.

"For Luke," he agreed, putting his hand onto the pile. Annabeth stood next.

"For Luke."

"For Luke," Piper agreed, putting her hand on, and pulling up Leo to do the same.

"For Luke," Bianca put her hand on and forced Winona to do it, despite her apprehension. Reyna stood as well, and was about to agree, but she stopped. Something caught her eye.

She stepped back, and saw the seven demigods illuminated, as if being blessed by the gods, or maybe even some kind of higher force.

 _Six pure forces and a light break through_

Solar power, the power of the dead, the power of the mind, the power of love, firepower, water power, and a light/lightning. Reyna listed them off in her head in awe.

The Seven had gathered at last.

Winona shot her a weird look. "Are you coming or not?" she asked, with the others looking at her expectantly.

" _Not sure if I even belong now,"_ she thought, though she stepped forward again, placed her hand on the pile, and agreed.

"For Luke."

xxxXXXxxx

Envy's screams of pain were infuriating to Pride, but it was a necessary evil. His pawn had to be punished. "Not only have you failed me three times, but you _actively_ worked against me?" Pride questioned, his voice low and threatening.

"No! No, please!" her form changed every second, in too much pain to hold any one for more than that. Her pleas, on the other hand, were like music to his ears.

"You're lucky to be alive, little one. If I hadn't granted you one of my most critical abilities, I would not think twice about killing you," he continued the torture. He couldn't wait to see something similar happen to those two demigods…it wouldn't be long now…before they were within his grasp. Not to mention, the son of Jupiter…now _there_ was a specimen worth preserving if ever there was one.

Alas, he had one desirable trait too many, and had to be eliminated because of it. Though, he relished the thought of see the light fade from the Aduro's eyes. "You've been busy, would-be Oracle," he mentioned. "Tell the ending of your little made-up prophecy, again?"

Envy gasped for air, and took Pride's own form. As his voice said the words, they filled him with anticipation.

"Doors we have opened, Doors they have closed. In the end futile, for God cannot be opposed."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So there you have it! House of Hades is finished up, and I'm slowly but surely working my way through The Blood of Olympus...even though it's going to have very little in common with the actual book, much like my adaptation of The Last Olympian.**

 **With that in mind, however, this of course means that we're going to take a little break. And by a little break, I mean, inevitably, about a month or maybe more. These things take time, alright?**

 **But with that, we have some stuff to go over, regular finale stuff and all that.**

 **So first, opening; easy choice: "Undo" by Cool Joke, the third OP for the original Fullmetal Alchemist show. I could explain exactly why, for which the reasoning is mainly that I'd constructed this whole visual sequence in my head for it and that would definitely not put you all to sleep, but for the main reason, it's because of the last shot of the OP, where Ed goes in for an attack and the camera zooms on his eye. With both Percy and Jason affirming their place int he world through this climax, I thought it might be cool to have them both have to eye zoom thing in their respective battles as a final shot for my own version. Of course, this is exceedingly difficult to describe with words, so I'll leave it there and stop boring you.**

 **So, I'm sorry guys, I couldn't help but put in a prophecy. I love prophecies so much that I had to put one in. Envy's cryptic lines throughout the book are thus:**

 ** _The call of the dead will start the end_**

 **This could refer to Thanatos' plea to close the Doors, all the way back in Alaska, it could be Percy telling them to meet them at the Doors, as he would've been presumed dead since he fell into Tartarus; a place where demigods are made to suffer and die, or it could be when Bianca is stabbed, which served as a final nail int he coffin for Jason to breakdown and then begin to build himself back up towards his, so called, final form.**

 ** _The fire to burn in madness send_**

 **This could be a reference to Tartarus, a land of heat and death, where Percy (and Annabeth but she's less important in this part) is sent to Nyx, who breaks him. Or it could refer to Leo, who, after Grover's death, became hotheaded and brash, bordering on madness when he challenges Jason for the position of quest leader.**

 ** _As fallen and branded take sorrowful heed_**

 **This could refer to either Percy (branded from his neck scar) and Annabeth (the fallen), who travel through Tartarus and suffer. Or it could refer to Winona (the fallen) and Reyna (branded by Lupa as Rome's greatest weapon) who have to go against their respective people's to retrieve the Parthenos.**

 ** _The Aduro twists and writhes and bleeds_**

 **This is fairly self-explanatory; Jason suffers and gets the shit kicked out of him for being such a little bitch. A bit more elegant than that, but my guess is that this is about his entire journey, from when he was switched with Annabeth up until now, not just after Rome, though that could be equally viable as an explanation.**

 ** _The speaker she walks down a road long since tread_**

 **This is Piper; she's tried to bury her past behind her powers and is forced to relive the experience and face the judgement of her peers.**

 ** _The thoughtfulness of the host as their party loses thread_**

 **This is Luke, who became the glue as everyone was at their lowest point, and served as the catalyst for them formulating and agreeing to a plan which had an astronomical risk for a high reward.**

 ** _Doors we have opened, doors they have closed_**

 **The Doors of Death, which the Giants forced open, and the Argo II crew closed and returned to Thanatos' control.**

 ** _In the end futile, for God cannot be opposed_**

 **A questionable one, but only because this is a story. Imagining that this was real, and the characters aren't sure whether or not any of them will survive or that they'll win, it would be terrifying; they've seen how strong Pride is, even when injured. And he won't be for their next encounter.**

 **As for how Envy would be aware of events that she wasn't there for...mostly I don't know and I don't care, but Pride was implied to have killed or otherwise captured Iris to control the Iris-Message which showed Grover's death, so perhaps she was spying on the crew from afar this whole time, in which case only the cursory "Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus' information would've been known to her, thus the second and third lines likely wouldn't refer to them at all, but this is just one justification. At a certain point, the explanation will simply become "the author wanted this to happen". Contrived, yes, but I couldn't help myself.**

 **More things that I couldn't help myself to are references, or homage might be more accurate for my more recent ones. As some of you are aware, I put a lot of references into this piece and The Cruel Spider before it. Whereas before I'd quote a movie using Riptide's disembodied voice as a medium, most of the references in United We Stand have been concepts or set-pieces. For example, chapter 40, You Say Run, is an homage to "My Hero Academia", specifically episode 12, where All Might first shows off his power, and the chapter is where Percy first shows his full power in the form of his blood bending.**

 **For this chapter/these chapters for the finale, there were a couple. First, Nero's plea for Athena's help is a reference to the God of War series, specifically when Kratos begs for Ares' help. But that didn't go so well for him.**

 **Second, when Percy first fight Iapetus and 'kills' him, it was based very very loosely on the last battle between Edward Elric and Greed, from the original Fullmetal Alchemist show. That fight is so fucking awesome; short and sweet but awesome. It's free on YouTube; 9/10 would watch 73 times in a row (true story).**

 **Third, the demigods combining their powers against Sloth is a reference to (and you all are going to think I'm a fucking nerd) Dragon Ball Z. But not just any old episode or fight, but the obscure tv special whose remake came bundled with Raging Blast 2, only available in subtitles. That's right; it's The Plan to Eradicate The Super Saiyans. Don't ask me why I watched it, but know that the concept of powerful energy beams coalescing into a stronger attack to defeat a foe was taken from that.**

 **Finally, the final escape sequence where the crew is ascending the tower is (another nerd moment incoming!) based on the tower fight scene from Kung Fu Panda 2. It's honestly a really stupid title for an awesome movie. I promise it's really mature with its themes and characterization. For real, though, that scene was so fucking cool, and with the slow-motion, just...aagh!**

 **Expect more homages in the future. A lot more because I'm uncreative trash lol**

 **Anyway, um...gosh I don't know what left to put here. Thanks for reading; we're at the home stretch guys! If you're wondering, the original word count for this is 10795 words and 33 pages (so you know, on the shorter side lol self-triggered), though I doubt you all care. Just going to show how long these notes are, I guess.**

 **With that, though, thanks for reading again, and I'll see you all when I see you.**

 **Oh yeah, Discord! Chapter 45 has the key!**


	65. Throw Me One Bone

"I hate this," Annabeth announced as she stumbled out of the restroom. "I hate this, and it's all your fault."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know a crazy king with gold powers was going to appear?" Leo questioned, having waited outside for her. They'd been captured, relatively speaking, by Midas. Even after the Doors of Death had been closed, that didn't mean that everyone who was supposed to be in the Underworld went back there; that likely wouldn't happen until the Underworld itself was retaken. Hopefully Thanatos could contain everything there until the war passed by and the gods could take more permanent measures.

Now, they were expected to go to a ball in Midas' name, formal clothes and everything. Leo was all fancied up in a tuxedo that was provided, and Annabeth was forced into this awful golden dress that was too tight in all of the wrong places; thankfully, the daughter of Athena came prepared and wore a tube-top and boy shorts, just in case things went wrong and she needed freer movement, though with her injuries, she doubted it would make much of a difference. Very briefly, she saw Piper in one just like it, though the speaker had been escorted off for a 'special' project. When Leo and Annabeth walked out into the ballroom, they saw why. Piper was on stage, singing in Greek.

She saw the two enter, and shot them a look saying, ' _help me!'_ , but they'd been given specific instructions: don't do anything to ruin the mood. Midas was off to one side, dancing like a drunken idiot. Thankfully, he didn't seem too malevolent, just stupid and unaware of the situation. Either that, or he was tricking them.

Not so surprisingly, it turned out to be the latter, but that's jumping ahead.

As for the moment, Annabeth and Leo found a place to hang out for the ten hour event. Yes, balls last that long unfortunately. As she watched the whole gaggle of not only posh aristocrats, but dead aristocrats, dancing and parading around like jackasses, feeling like they were doing nothing but wasting precious time when they should be moving, Annabeth couldn't hope but wonder if the others were doing any better.

xxxXXXxxx

Winona and Reyna had left early to the Labyrinth, while Bianca did her teleportation deal. Pegasus had come a few days prior, and was set to deliver that night. Winona and Reyna were camped out within the Labyrinth itself, having been given directions so they didn't become lost. The particular room that they were in was odd, with it appearing to be an open sky, which was impossible, but still. It gave the appearance of little else but a casual campout. That atmosphere isn't as inaccurate as one would think. To Reyna, at least, it didn't feel as if she were about to go into a fight to the death, but rather that she was on a school trip, paired with someone whom she may not have particularly liked or rather not known very well, and she was trying to make the best of it.

Winona herself wasn't the most talkative person. Reyna surmised that it had at least partially to do with the loss of her first love and subsequent bitterness and isolation, but she never got a straight answer out of the girl. Both were seventeen at the time, which Reyna found interesting. She felt much older than that, and with Winona's godly inheritance, she imagined the girl must feel that same thing.

They'd been conversing for a few hours prior to Bianca arriving, or as much as Winona could stomach conversing. "You know, lass, I think I get what you find appealing about the rope and things."

"What?" Winona seemed unprepared for the statement.

"Yeah, you see, when my lad started acting all assertive and stopped asking for permission and I had to just go along with it…I don't know, it felt almost empowering, like I didn't have to care about what to do for a while. You get what I mean, lass? It's the same concept…though, I doubt I'd go so far as to enjoy-"

"Oho, no, see _I'm_ not into that stuff; Bianca is. She likes to feel in control," Winona chuckled.

"O-oh, I was under the assumption…"

"Well…I tolerate it, how about that?"

"Right…" Reyna felt her cheeks heat up. Gods, but it was difficult to talk with this girl. It probably didn't help to go to such a strange topic. "So, what do you like to do, at your camp?"

Winona shrugged. "Eh, the usual. Capture-The-Flag is fun," she said. "Volleyball is fun, but a little easy. Apollo kids can always jump really high, so we're all pretty good at it. I liked archery too, but…" her eyes drifted off, becoming distant. "I stopped liking it last summer."

Reyna figured she could change the subject. "I heard about your Capture-The-Flag. Would you like to hear about our version?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay, see…the concept is the same; we've got two teams, but only one of them has flags to capture. The ones with the flags are in some kind of fortified structure; it changes each night. The ones without flags try to get inside and secure them. We call it the war games."

"Sounds interesting; might be fun to try out," Winona offered. "Though if that's all you've got, I imagine it'd get boring pretty quick."

"Not so, lass. The creativity of our engineers is endless. We're trained to attack and defend all different types of fortification from all around the world."

"Cool, so what do you guys do for fun?"

"Excuse me?"

"For fun; what's there to do other than those war games?"

"Hm? Well, there's…there's, uh…" Reyna thought about it, and thought about it, and thought about it…

"You guys don't do anything fun?"

"We do!" Reyna claimed. "It's just slipping my mind is all!"

"Right," Winona smirked, knowing she'd caught the Roman. "I bet you've got nothing to do but drills and other boot camp stuff, huh? Some life."

"Is there a problem with that?" Reyna question; for her part, she enjoyed the gradual feeling of improvement as the days stretched to weeks into months into years.

With the Legion, there was always a tangible, sometimes even quantifiable, metric of your improvement. As you are work you can run farther and fight longer. You're rewarded for that work as well; those that excel are placed in higher positions, should they display the necessary leadership qualities. Was there anything wrong with self-improvement?

"And blow me down, lass, what do your campers do after they come of age? Do they just pack up and leave to be slaughtered somewhere out there in the world, or do they stick around like some kind of inbred parasite?" Reyna countered. Winona had difficulty arguing against either one. "New Rome is a home for all Romans while it's the _Legion_ that's the closest equivalent to your Camp Half-Blood. You lack something to fight for."

"Okay, now _that's_ not true."

"Oh, right, you fight for yourselves, for your own hides."

"What's so wrong with that? Our kind has been hunted by monsters for millennia; it's natural for us to prioritize individual survival."

"What I don't understand is why you Greeks gather together in the first place, why you have to share cabins and do group activities and _especially_ why you're sanctioned off by godly lineage. You're all lone wolves, off captaining your own ship by our age anyway. By our age, you would've likely done your required service to the Legion, and can start working toward a true future in New Rome should you choose. We have education there, wedding halls, gardens, movie theaters, restaurants, everything you'd need to live a comfortable life, a normal life. We have Legion alumni making families and growing old, and the Legion is _always_ ready to defend that. In the Legion itself, we accept no defeatists, no stragglers. We don't kill the weak, we prop them up until they become strong, and the strong defend their fellow strong and the weak. The Legion may lack what you consider 'fun', but the gods know we care more about our fellow man than ourselves, unlike you."

"…"

Reyna took a deep breath, realizing she'd been rambling. "…Apologies, lass; I forgot myself for but a moment there."

Winona brought her knees to her chest, shrugged, and looked away, not meeting Reyna's gaze. "You're not wrong…" Winona muttered. "Gods, but it hurts to admit that."

"…You Greeks…so quick to take offense," Reyna shrugged, trying to play it off, though she heard sniffling from her partner. She scooted closer. "I'm sorry, if it means anything."

Winona shook her head and wiped off her face. "Is it weird that I wish we were like you sometimes?" she asked. "You're right; we gather in crisis and then break apart into petty arguments again, just like our forefathers. I could rant about the endless cabin feuding for hours," she laughed bitterly. "But it's not just them you know. It's everyone individually too."

"You mean that Bianca?" Reyna guessed. Winona nodded.

"I thought after we got together that things would be different, that she wouldn't…go off on her own so much…doing whatever _he_ wanted. It's pathetic…but I guess the joke's on me for expecting otherwise, right?"

Reyna was busy trying to piece together the story; Winona wasn't exactly giving her a lot to go on. "So, let me make this crystal clear; you got together, and then she ignored you?"

"…It's not her fault," Apollo's successor said, though it sounded like she was trying to convince herself. "She was broken when she came back to camp. It was only natural for her to latch onto the person who brought her back, instead of me. Now she's his 'retainer', his dog."

"Who?"

"Percy Jackson," the venom she put into the name shocked the Roman. Wasn't he their best? Their ace in the hole? "He killed a lot of my friends last year…"

"I'm…sorry," Reyna said, not sure what else to say.

"It's fine…it's not like you could've done anything…"

The two sat there quietly for a moment. Reyna desperately wanted to ask about the events that'd happened in New York the previous summer, but refrained. Instead, she focused her thoughts onto Bianca. Was the girl truly so callous as to ignore her chosen partner? That didn't seem so to Reyna; this was the girl who, instead of immediately going after her father's killer, resurrected a war criminal to give him a chance at redemption. Those weren't the actions of a callous woman.

Then again, most of her actions were rather enigmatic at times. From the stories Luke had told, she hated her father, to the point where she battled him and won. Why, then, would she risk going after his killer? Perhaps it wasn't for her own pathos, but for the justice of the world; that she believed it was fundamentally wrong to end a god's life and leave his domain imbalanced. But that didn't seem like her either; she was far too apathetic to the world and its problems for that mindset.

Another idea came to her head, but it was putting a lot of bank on Bianca's awareness and intelligence, both of which Reyna found questionable. "Would you say she's smarter than she lets on?"

"Of course she is," Winona said it as if it were obvious. "She just doesn't want anyone dumping responsibility on her. She's content to let Percy call the shots, and then she can always come running to me so she can feel in control of something…"

"Then I might pose a counterargument, lass? Have you ever considered why she leaves you behind so often?"

"Because Percy tells her to, of course."

"Are you so sure? She was sent to our camp. By that time, we'd been informed of the deal between Greeks and Romans, and yet she doesn't say which she is or that she was sent by the Titan Slayer; she claims she is Pluto's ambassador. Why?"

"…"

"My guess? She likely doesn't want us to trace back to your camp should things go wrong…back to your camp, and to you."

"That's stretching it a bit far, don't you think?"

"And then," Reyna continued. "She goes off on her own to fight that monster. She can teleport, correct? Couldn't she have gotten you or that Percy bilge-rat?"

"I suppose, but-"

"But she didn't, did she? My guess is she purposefully didn't get you involved. She wanted you to stay at camp, where you were safe."

"Why would she do that? I'm probably stronger than her!" Winona argued.

"Perhaps she could tell that you and Percy had a larger role to play than her," Reyna offered. "None of this is to say she doesn't trust you; you were her first instinct to call about the war. She obviously figured you could be relied upon."

"In crisis," Winona said bitterly. "Only in crisis…"

"Maybe so…" Reyna trailed off. "Now, don't take this as gospel. I've a mind that I haven't the faintest idea what I'm talking about, so take it all with a grain of salt."

"…How am I supposed to figure out if that's what she's doing? Should I just ask?" Winona wondered, causing her conversation partner to smile.

Reyna shrugged. "I don't know, lass. You tell me; you're her girlfriend."

Winona stared forward, into the fire, ember-like light flickering in her golden eyes. It took her a minute to respond. "…I guess…she could've been trying to protect me, but…"

"Perhaps she assumed protecting you was enough sign to show that she cared."

"Pft," Winona turned away again. "I'll believe it when I see it."

Reyna huffed. "Stubborn Greek…fine, then we'll have to see in a few hours what she does, won't we?"

"I suppose…" Winona said. "…You seem a lot older than you are."

"Aye; been forced that way, I'm afraid," Reyna shrugged, before lying down and closing her eyes. "I'd get some sleep if I were you. We've got a long day ahead of us, and precious little time until we're called to action."

"Mm…" Winona agreed. Reyna heard her shift on the floor a bit, before Reyna felt a pressure on her arm and chest. The girl had curled up next to Reyna, like a child. The praetor inwardly sighed. Soon enough, Bianca came around, but by then, both girls were fast asleep, still in that position. Soon, Bianca curled up on Reyna's other side, and waited for the time to pass.

Then, when the time was right, they continued on into the belly of the beast. The shore was loaded with a thousand familiars.

xxxXXXxxx

 _The air is humid and warm. In Camp Jupiter, this kind of weather usually comes around for a few months each year. Now, it seemed it would be all year round. It was paradise, even more so than before. Well…anywhere but this part of it, in any case._

 _A graveyard, a personal one for Jason's sake. He had put in a gravestone for Tempus, despite having never found her body, and was content to leave well enough alone and move on with his life. Now, he'd returned; this time, to honor another friend. Jason stood in front of a second gravestone, with a small ceremony having just ended for its recipient._

 _Reyna held his arm comfortingly; she seemed willing to wait as long as he needed. "If it makes you feel any better…I think you made the right choice, lad," she offered._

" _Mm…"_

"… _Jason…"_

 _The son of Jupiter took a deep breath, and let out a sigh. "I think I need to be alone for a minute," he said, in the most subdued tone he could manage. Reyna didn't seem hurt; they both understood what it meant to have lost a comrade. Or rather; a friend. The praetor shuffled off, leaving her boyfriend to mourn._

 _Jason kneeled down, grazing his hand on the headstone. "I'll make certain you receive every Roman honor…I hope you would've wanted that, after everything we've been through," he vowed. "It's odd…your closest friend…his honor seems to have spread. It's infected all of Olympus, and you were part of that. Thank you, for everything."_

 _Jason stood, took another deep breath, and closed his eyes in mourning. He heard footsteps behind him, followed by a powerful voice._

" _Come on, hero. You've got a lot of work ahead of you."_

 _xxxXXXxxx_

Jason's eyes shot open at the sensation of having his side lightly kicked. "Gods, okay, I'm up."

"You'd better be," Percy said, already standing. It likely took him a minute or two to do so without pain. "Because it's time."

"Right," Jason stood and stretched. Falling asleep in the Underworld hadn't been the easiest thing, especially as a vicious three-headed dog who, in myth maimed its visitors, watched over them. Percy had vouched for Cerberus' placidity, and it turned out that he was trustworthy after all. For one, Jason was still in one piece.

Though that he fell asleep posed another problem; what had that dream been? Surely it'd been a vision, one which would likely come to pass if usual demigod dreams are much to go off of. "Percy," Jason piped up. "Greek demigods also receive visions from the gods, do they not?"

"Hm? Yeah."

"Have you ever seen the future?"

"…Once, but it didn't come to pass," he said, after a moment of thinking about it. "My first quest; I saw my dad and your Greek dad going to war…abstractly, anyway. I stopped the war. Why, did you get a vision?"

"Yeah, I…think I did, but it doesn't matter right now," Jason claimed. "We need to get moving."

Percy watched as he shuffled ahead. He could tell pretty easily that it _did_ matter, but how would he have broached the topic? They weren't exactly on good terms, not after what happened in Rome…and gods, for the both of them, that felt like ages ago. Even still, Percy wanted to make the effort to reconcile. He knew that this was Tartarus' humbling. Percy had made his choice…

"I'm pretty selfish, you know," Percy said suddenly, finally following after the Roman. He wanted to see how he'd react to the statement.

"Wow, I'm shocked," Jason replied with sarcasm.

"You don't like me very much, do you?"

"…Not yet," the son of Jupiter admitted. He turned back briefly as he walked. "Hopefully that'll change."

That surprised Percy. He hadn't bothered learning what'd happened on the Argo. He didn't particularly care that much about anyone but Annabeth anymore, and he was fine with that. Wasn't that why he chose Jason as the leader in the first place? No…no, that wasn't why.

"I never did tell you why I wanted you to lead the quest."

"…I assumed it was to get on the Romans' good side," he said. "Can't see any other reason given how much you can't stand me."

"That's what I thought too, but I was wrong."

"Really?"

Percy nodded. "In Tartarus, I…" he hesitated; how much did he want Jason to know? How much weakness was he willing to show? The answer was none, at least for now. "I gained a new perspective. I realized that I picked you as a scapegoat. If anyone died on the quest…it'd be on you, and not me."

That wasn't a total lie, or at least it would've been a convincing truth, though it wasn't really. Percy might've even been able to convince himself that it was the case. He'd certainly tried in the days leading up to this, with Luke's sacrifice. It didn't work; Annabeth made extra certain to placate those thoughts.

Jason chuckled, though, at the explanation, and then shrugged. "Yeah, see, what you fail to realize is that I would've taken the blame anyway…in that sense…we're similar. It was a cute lie, though."

Percy blinked; where did _this_ come from? This confidence, this self-possessed demeanor…and he so easily saw through the Titan Slayer. That was either an indication of Jason's growth, or Percy's fall from grace. Or both; that was always a possibility.

Soon, they came up the pathway to Hades' former palace. Jason stood to Percy's left, between him and the pit to Tartarus. " _Thanks, kid,"_ Percy said in his head. Thankfully, the pit lacked the fiendish red glow of the realm proper, and thus the only memory Percy recalled from seeing it was his battle with Iapetus, alongside Thalia. Well, that and when Grover had the cursed flying shoes…

A void filled Percy's chest. Grover…his death was one thing he'd heard about. Percy would be lying if he said it didn't hurt, but…all things considered, the satyr had become more of an acquaintance as time passed. Percy would miss him, but his death shook him a lot less than Luke's did. He'd been told to avoid the subject around Leo. Those two were best friends, apparently. Percy hadn't noticed. It would eventually turn out that that was part of the problem.

The son of Poseidon took a deep breath. To his shame, even just the walk there had slightly winded him. Gods, but his body ached as well; stiff and pained at the same time. Thankfully, Winona had at least partially healed his broken arm, though she'd advised that he refrain from using it, to which he immediately thought, " _Pft, you know I'm not going to do that."_

And so, here he was, taking out Riptide, thankful that he was able to use a real sword in his hands again. Jason similarly took out his Regalius, flipping it into its spear form. "So, is it just me, or are things too quiet right now?" he asked.

Percy looked around; he didn't see a single Lust spawn. All he saw was thousands of lost souls, looking for bodies to return to. Some cast themselves into the River Styx, and _that_ was depressing to watch. Ahead of them, Hades' palace was in shambles. Most of the roof had been destroyed, leaving a cracked, barren floor of obsidian. His Helm lay snapped in two at the base of the steps.

The two demigods ascended the staircase to the palace. "I bet it's too easy to say that Lust didn't bother assigning guards," Percy mentioned. As if on cue, they reached the top, and saw four figures standing around the palace grounds. Upon the living demigods reaching the top, the figures' attention snapped to them.

Their eyes began to glow, they became surrounded in a greenish aura; Lust spawn. Though, these four seemed different. They seemed to be flesh and blood, or as close as they could come to it. Percy recognized one of them, as he'd met him before, and Jason recognized all of them from his readings of the myths. "Achilles, Theseus, Perseus, Jason," Jason Grace listed them off in turn. "Some of Greece's greatest warriors."

"…I mean, I like a challenge, but sometimes I wish the Fates would throw me _one_ bone, you know?"

Percy's quip couldn't have been reacted to, as this was when the four legends attacked.

xxxXXXxxx

"May I have this dance, miss?"

Annabeth's attention was stolen from her Sudoku puzzle as a hand blocked her view. She'd been at the party for almost two hours at that point. Piper was still singing, and going strong, while Leo had taken up a position nearer to the stage, just in case she was attacked. That left Annabeth. She'd taken to sitting at one of the dining tables and pulling out some entertainment, which was given when she requested. While Sudoku was hardly thrilling, it was something to keep her mind on at the minutes slowly ticked by.

And then, this happened. She felt his presence only when he made himself noticed by asking for the dance. But when he did, it was as if Annabeth was a lump of coal being crushed into a diamond. Even the gods couldn't compare. Annabeth struggled to recall a Giant's presence, from when she'd encountered Pride at Hubbard Glacier, but this was a…well, it wasn't healthy, but it was a damn fine reminder.

The daughter of Athena even struggled to look up at first, and when she did the sight almost surprised her. What she saw was a man around her age, sporting long dark hair and a bad-boy persona in his expression and posture, which towered over her and held a cocky smirk. That persona alone made her want to vomit, especially in his condescending addition of saying, "I'm not the kind of guy you refuse, miss."

Still, she knew just from looking at him that she couldn't match up, especially in her condition; he was no mere mortal, after all.

So, reluctantly, she set down her pen and paper, and accepted the offer. "Excellent," the Giant said, dragging her into the thick of the dance floor, where it would have taken several precious seconds to get the attention of her friends, should she need them. And she knew she'd need them.

It was a slow song, thankfully. As well, in a fashion that rather surprised Annabeth, this Giant's dancing technique was actually delicate. He was gentle with her in leading the steps. Annabeth was expecting him to ask her to dance, and then chuck her face-first into the ceiling as a sick joke. But no. For now, he seemed to want to talk.

"You're a Giant," Annabeth surmised.

"Oh, was it _that_ obvious?" he returned, again in that demeaning tone of voice that said that he was better than you, or…her…whatever. Annabeth bit back a remark; a gesture that the Giant noticed and used to continue speaking. "Name's Mimas, but you can call me Greed."

"How about 'asshole'?" Annabeth couldn't help herself. Realizing she could've upset him, she attempted to step back, only to be pulled closer, forcibly. She bit back a yelp as he yanked on her bad wrist and forced her to put weight on her bad leg.

"How about you remember your place, mortal?" his tone lowered, giving it a more venomous feeling. After he let her settle, however, it returned to normal. "You demigods are feisty; I like that, but it gets annoying after a while. Like how only the lightning rod was supposed to survive at the House. Bummer."

"Looks like you underestimated us."

"Heh, no. Pride _over_ estimated Envy and Sloth. He was biased towards his little experiments, you see."

" _Experiments?"_ Annabeth thought. " _I knew they were artificial, but…"_

"It's okay, though. He's got about sixteen backups, though that particular one at the House was number four…"

"We know your plan, Greed; you aim to resurrect Gaia and control her."

"You think it matters that you know?" he questioned. "Our power is nigh absolute; just one of us was able to battle most of the Olympians to a standstill. It's by the devil's own luck that you've eluded us so far, but that ends tonight. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not, and in about three days' time, you'll be a shriveled up corpse."

"I'd rather die before then, if possible," Annabeth tried to force herself away.

"Sorry, but I can't allow that; need you alive to steal your power."

Annabeth grit her teeth. She really didn't have that many options here. She had no weapon, no access to her friends, and was still injured. Not to mention she couldn't have fought a Giant in the first place. She looked around, but all she saw were dead spirits that wanted to party.

Greed began pulling her off of the dance floor at the back, so Leo couldn't see, and Piper was unlikely to, though she was elevated a bit so there was a chance…

No, Annabeth couldn't rely on chance. She needed a way out of this…and the plan she thought of was entirely stupid.

Annabeth screamed. It was the kind of scream that pierced the ears of those who heard it; it was a true horror movie female-lead scream. The dancers were silenced, the music stopped, and Annabeth had to pray that, even dead, they'd help a girl about to be kidnapped. Greed only laughed.

"Ha! These spirits are all on our side, girlie," he said, guessing her plan. "They're not gonna help you."

"They might not," Annabeth said back. "But I've got friends of my own."

"Hey all!" Piper called out over the mic, grabbing the attention of everyone but Greed. She tried to focus so that her friends wouldn't be affected, but it wasn't working particularly well. She ended up having to add an addendum to free them from her control. "Let's play a game! A certain someone holding onto a blond-haired girl really needs to learn to loosen up! Let's everyone, except Leo and Annabeth, drag him back in here to party!"

Almost immediately, the spirits that were closest to them latched onto Greed's shoulders, though he shook them off. Then more and more came and grabbed on. It took a few minutes, where Greed's grip was like the Terminator's, but eventually he was yanked off of her. She ran as fast as she could out of the room, with Leo having come around and met up with her. Piper, meanwhile, realized that she needed to keep both the crowd busy and Greed stuck in their grasp. This was the most helpful thing she could think to do. She turned to the musicians.

"C Minor; put it in C Minor," she said off-handedly. She was going to keep the audience captivated and doing her bidding, through song. Call it cheesy or odd, but damn did it feel good to Piper. What might've once made her nauseous now empowered her; it's funny how things work out when she has someone to work through her problems with, or…had…

Piper forced those thoughts down as she closed her eyes; she needed to concentrate.

The first piano flourished, and she began singing.

 _Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?_

 _Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?_

 _Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_

 _Late at night, I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need…_

Piper's eyes shot open, and she gave her best movie-star smile. "Hit it!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Long time no see! To address the elephant, it _has_ been a while, but we're back now with daily uploads, hopefully until the end. But if you've been following for a while, you know that that statement comes with some caveats.**

 **A few admissions:**

 **First, I'm not actually done writing this. I'm currently making headway into the final battle which, in its current form, is going to be a massive five-chapter brawl, across four different smaller battles before culminating in a big one. After that, we're going to have two epilogues. This makes the planned amount of chapters bump up to 78 I believe.**

 **Since I'm not done writing the final battle, however, I can't guarantee daily uploads after a certain point. I will do my best, and have a goal-per-day, but it might not happen. My track record doesn't look good for it happening either, but we'll see. I'll let you know at chapter 70 what the deal will be.**

 **Second, while the consequences and character moments will be normal, the action from this point forward will be absolutely balls-to-the-wall in-fucking-sane. My advice? Don't think too hard. My goal from the start of this series was to take the power levels as high as I could without becoming ridiculous, to the point where I couldn't reasonably make them more powerful and have actual stakes in the conflict other than "the world is being destroyed", which will be used already in the finale.**

 **Third, references. This final stretch is reference-land. I love homages, I love them so much, and thus I use them a lot, though I'd be less inclined to do so if this wasn't a fanfic lol**

 **For this time, aside from the obvious one at the end which I'll touch on tomorrow, we have the line from Winona about how she used to like archery at camp. That's from an excellent one-shot comic with Will Solace, where he's "asked" what his favorite thing to do at camp is. I really liked it, so lol reference.**

 **With that said, I'll see you guys tomorrow!**

 **references:**

 **Will Solace (I used to like archery picture)**


	66. For You, Anything

"The day of reckoning has arrived," Octavian announced. To the crowd of Romans laid out before him. "Your praetor has been captured, but before she was taken, she laid out her plan; you all know it by heart, I presume. They aim to strike us, and so we strike thrice as hard!" he called, to cheers. Inwardly, the boy grimaced. "The Fallen shall fall once again!"

Octavian looked out, meeting the frankly hungry eyes of his peers. He should've been just like them, and yet he wasn't. For he wasn't privy to their ignorance; he knew of Reyna's true whereabouts. Crafting the lie of her capture wasn't as difficult as he thought it'd be, given how powerful that blond-haired girl seemed to be. A simple "she was taken by surprise" falsehood was easy for his fellow Romans to swallow. And in fact, it made their lust for battle and bloodshed even greater. Gods, but Octavian wished he could've shared those feelings, that ignorance. How could Reyna have gone off to prevent this war, and then expect Octavian to play it out as planned all the while?

In the end, it didn't matter why she did what she did, but that it was done. And in fact, their fellow Romans weren't the only ones to wish the Greeks harm.

The crowd was immediately silenced when she entered, her padded steps barely making a sound on the pavement where they'd gathered. She stepped up to the elevated platform that Octavian was standing on, and he, along with the others, were left stunned at her appearance. "…Mother…" Octavian muttered in awe; as far as any of them could remember, she'd barely ever left her home at the Wolf House. That was her domain; why had she chosen to appear now? Hoping upon hope, Octavian wondered if it was to quell the conflict and prevent the unnecessary shedding of Roman blood.

"True Romans do not drool over the sighting of a canine. Compose yourselves!" she scolded immediately, causing them all to snap to attention. "You are all in dire straits, my children. I fear the Greeks' force is far greater than you can muster."

That was like a hammer to the side of the head. Nathan, of the first cohort, spoke first. "So…we're doomed to fail?"

"Still your hearts, pups. Being outmanned doesn't mean the battle is lost. You have a plan," she reminded them. "With my assistance, it just might work."

"You're going help us?"

"Indeed. Their own guardian, the centaur called Chiron, trainer of heroes, battles with them. He will be my responsibility. Against him, I fear none of you would survive," she explained. "Now then. We shall begin our march soon. All of you, prepare as you will. Regroup in two of your human hours," she barked, snapping them to attention again before the crowd dispersed. Octavian stayed. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do; he was to send them all to fight. He had only received minimal combat training himself, given his roles first as senator and then as Reyna's retainer.

Lupa turned to him. "I understand that Reyna has been captured?" she asked. The son of Minerva gulped, but tried not to make a face; he figured she'd kill him if she found out that he was lying, and especially about Reyna conspiring with the enemy.

"Y-yes, Mother. B-by a blond girl, Winona."

Lupa circled him, looking for a weakness. Octavian closed his eyes, trying to focus on other, simpler thoughts. He was almost certain that it didn't work. "Apollo's successor…" Lupa finally said, as if she'd been thinking about who he was referring to. "It should've been expected, I suppose…Octavian…you vie for praetorship, yes?"

"T-that's correct, Mother. S-since I-I was a child…"

"Then acquire a stiffer jaw. Your blubbering is making me hungry," she scolded. "And by the time I find out what you're keeping from me, I expect you to seem less appetizing."

With that, she skulked off toward the edge of camp, where the others would meet her. Octavian bit his lip; it was only a matter of time. Even if Lupa got in one word about the prisoners to that centaur, she'd know Reyna wasn't among them. He looked toward the east.

"Reyna…please hurry…" he begged as he went to follow their Mother.

xxxXXXxxx

 _I need a hero_

 _I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_

 _He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast_

 _And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

The daughter of Bellona had been expecting an army. She had prayed to all of the gods that Lust wouldn't even be there, and yet he was. He was hiding behind his army, waiting for Pegasus to arrive, but he was still there. She could still see his aura skyrocketing above the rest, towering above her like the insurmountable wall that it was. And then, just like that, she was frozen again.

" _Gods, what the hell is wrong with me?!"_ she yelled in her head as he limbs turned to lead. " _Why am I here?! Why aren't I in New Rome?!"_ she kept asking these irrational questions that she knew the answers to, and yet they kept cycling through her head involuntarily, driven solely to distract her mind from the pure fear she felt coursing through her body.

It would've gotten her killed upon entry to this battle, had Winona not come back for her. "Wake up!" the blond girl wasted no time in slapping the praetor out of her funk, literally. "In case you haven't noticed, we're backed into a corner here!"

Reyna blinked a few times. Only now did she see Winona and Bianca's aura, shining as bright lights in the abyss, dotted beside her. She'd been too focused on Lust, too focused on what wasn't the goal. The goal was to make Lust use up as much energy as humanly possible, and cause as much trouble as possible. Reyna knew that this meant she might have to fight him, but…no, she wouldn't. She lacked the raw power necessary to damage a Giant. It was a blow to her pride, but the Greeks had gone over this fact before they left the Argo. That left the army to her, and Lust to the lasses. And she was perfectly fine with that.

" _Focus on the goal…"_ she thought, over and over until it stuck. She needed a plan to get things fully underway in her brain, and thank the gods she taught them the basic seven formations for easy communication. She huddled close to Bianca. "Sixth formation!" she demanded. Winona nodded and plunged into the chaos of the enemy. As the two remaining girls parried and riposted the army ad nauseum, Reyna saw golden light pierce through the green glow of the Lust spawn, until Winona blasted away a large chunk of the enemy in front of them, dashing back to join the group. Technically, that wasn't how the formation was supposed to work, but it served its purpose.

Now with a little more breathing room, the Charlie's Angels made their way further into the thick of the army. Eventually, Lust took notice of this. Before, he'd merely summoned his army in the face of their opposition, but as they began to fight back…well, he wasn't too happy about it.

"Would you all just roll over and die already?!" he demanded, seemingly appearing from nowhere. He blasted the girls away from each other, each into a separate part of the enemy. Reyna managed to keep up a defense, forcing her mind to focus only on the mass of enemy in front of her, rather than Lust, who was likely about to kill her from behind or something.

Suddenly, and faintly, she heard from Bianca yell, "Both of you need to duck, now!" Reyna barely did so before a blackened whip tore through the force around her, cleaving off their heads and seeming to drain their souls right out from their undead bodies. Immediately afterward, Reyna heard the girl cry out with a blood-curdling scream. Reyna did her best to fight her way over to her, but Winona beat her to it…not that it helped much.

"Bianca? Bianca, what's wr-" Apollo's successor was cut off, as were all of them, when a massive energy released itself from Bianca's body in a circle, blasting Winona up into the air and directly into the cliff face, face first. Reyna was swept off of her feet, with a feeling of utter hopelessness washing over her as she fell, and it wasn't because she was knocked over. It was something about the blast, some feeling that it directly gave off.

Bianca struggled to stand as Lust approached, laughing. "You are as much a fool as you are pathetic. These souls are _mine_ , Ghost King. You are unwelcome!"

"They're not! You've tricked them into following you!" Bianca snapped; this was the _one_ thing that could make her truly angry; taking advantage of the dead.

"Oh," Lust summoned another dozen around her. "I would more say I've seized control. There's no trickery in what I do."

Bianca grit her teeth, finally standing as they attacked.

 _I need a hero_

 _I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_

 _He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon_

 _And he's gotta be larger than life!_

 _Larger than life…_

While Jason hadn't yet been continually told how powerful he was, Percy had. Thus, he was a bit surprised when the legends put up so much of a fight. He'd been under the assumption that demigods have grown continually stronger as time passed; it appeared that that wasn't the case at all. Not to mention…you know, there was some trickery going on.

Percy didn't have the strength to create weapons or water of any sizeable amount, not that he'd have another arm that was ready to use it since his broken arm, while healed thanks to ambrosia and nectar, likely would snap again easily if used too much. He settled for Riptide, but in his condition, he barely kept up a defense, and it wasn't very good. Thankfully, Jason was in top form, able to at least marginally handle all but Achilles. The kid moved so much faster than he had before, almost appearing in three or four places at once. At his maximum, even Percy would have difficulty keeping up, though his conditioning with the Curse and its reflexes likely would've sufficed in being able to at least keep up visually, if not physically without a learning period.

Gods, but Percy hoped it was his poor condition that brought this awe at him.

Either way, that didn't help much against the greatest swordsman that Greek myth had ever known. Percy had wanted to duel Achilles for the longest time, to put to bed who was the best, but this isn't what he'd had in mind. Not only was Percy laughably injured, but Achilles was fighting for the enemies of Greece! Not to mention…

Percy was blasted back into Jason, and they toppled into each other. Surprisingly, no dirty words were thrown out; they just both stood back-to-back, preparing for further attack. "This is all wrong…" Percy groaned, feeling an aching coming from his recent wounds from Iapetus. "I don't think they should be this strong…"

"They're legends, Percy."

"So are we," the Greek reminded them. "I can summon tsunamis and you can move faster than the eye can see; they shouldn't be able to stand up, don't you think?"

"Long shot, maybe Lust is empowering them? They're his most powerful guards, after all," Jason offered.

Percy sighed. "Again, _one_ bone would be nice."

"Are you okay?"

"Eh, I'll manage," Percy lied. "How about you? Wanna switch?"

"Very funny," Jason returned as the legends charged.

Percy tried to fight back this time. His adrenaline didn't help much in this instance, but Percy would be damned if he didn't get one good shot in. Unfortunately, it backfired. Achilles simply parried the blows until he saw a good opening. He gashed Percy's sword arm pretty badly, before stabbing again in the side. Percy would've keeled over had the legend not kicked him away, with a force that only a demigod could've managed.

Jason saw this and managed to move fast enough to catch him before he fell to the ground. "Gods curse it all, this isn't working," Jason growled, feeling blood from his own wounds trickling down his face and arms. He took a deep breath; he knew this was a gambit.

Jason took out the elixir that Hermes had given to him. According to the god, this would increase a demigod's power past what their limit was for a short time, only to painfully crash back down to normal after a short while. It was a one-time use item, only to be used in emergencies. This certainly constituted, but…Jason had been planning on using it against Pride, to be honest. Still, he wasn't about to let Percy go back on his promise.

"You need to drink this," Jason said. Percy nodded, looking barely conscious. They were about to hand the vial off, when Perseus attacked. First, he separated them using his shield and then kicked Percy away. Jason would've been fine against just Perseus (that being the original one), but then Jason the Argonaut joined in, bashing Jason (Grace) in the head and back, causing the vial to fly from his hands and into the air. Jason willed the wind to draw it back toward him, but then he was caught again. Percy wasn't the only son of Poseidon present, and it seemed Theseus also had his sadistic streak.

He shot water from his hand, though unlike Percy, Theseus seemed to need it to remain attached to his body to control it. The water blasted into Jason's face and coalesced into a sphere around it. Jason let out a couple of coughs, unable to breathe. He tried to fight back; he _wouldn't_ go down so easily to this again, but then Theseus latched onto his other limbs, fully trapping him. Things seemed bleak; it was up to Percy. Hopefully, he'd managed to grab the elixir.

 _Somewhere after midnight_

 _In my wildest fantasy_

 _Somewhere just beyond my reach_

 _There's someone reaching back for me_

 _Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat_

 _It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet_

"We're moving too slow!" Leo claimed as he blasted away a horde of ghosts that wouldn't have caught up had they been going at full speed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, can you fight _and_ carry me? Now stop complaining!" Annabeth snapped back, doing her best to put Leo between her and the enemies. Gods, but Piper was truly a gift from the gods. She was subduing over a thousand ghosts in that ball room, and using them to hold back a Giant as well. Part of Annabeth worried about her safety; she had to hope Greed would simply eventually break free and then leave, rather than attack Piper. With any luck, the daughter of Aphrodite wouldn't just be a red stain on the stage when next they saw her.

"What the hell was that guy anyway?"

"Oh, you know…a Giant…" Annabeth tried to sound nonchalant, but she was far past that stage. "His name is Greed."

"Any good news?"

"Well, I got a date for the Feast; three days from now, apparently…well, I mean that's _if_ they catch me, right?"

"And _that's_ not gonna happen," Leo assured. He did his best to sound confident, though he wasn't sure how successful he was at that.

That said, the two fleeing demigods didn't exactly have a direction to go; this palace seemed to grow more confusing as they tried to backtrack through its abyssal halls, lined with golden everything. "We need to get to the Argo," Leo had said when they first began to run, but again, they didn't seem any closer to getting there, and that still left Piper.

"Can its cannons bust though solid gold?" Annabeth questioned.

"Gods, but I hope so," Leo said, the two darting around another group of ghosts which had thankfully not noticed them fast enough to become a threat. They rounded a corner, and then were forced to skid to a halt. In front of them, Greed stood. "What the hell? He got away so fast?" Leo questioned, though Annabeth knew different.

"Another Giant?" she questioned, noticing his difference in posture and facial features. This one seemed a bit more elegant, a bit more refined, though still held the face of a trickster.

"Greetings," he said calmly, walking toward them. His paces were like thunder with each step. "My name is Mimon, but you may call me Greed."

"He can multiply himself? Is that even possible?" Leo lit up his metal arm in defense, as he was getting dangerously close.

"You may thank the god Janus for his contribution to my, ah…unique capabilities," Greed stopped in front of them, seeing Leo continuing to build up power. "You wish to play hero, boy? Then I challenge you to strike me down where I stand," Greed spread his arms out, obviously goading the impish boy.

"Leo, I…I don't know about this…" Annabeth said, though honestly, she didn't have a better plan. They couldn't go back because of the ghosts that were chasing them; in fact, they were wasting enough time as it was, but that Greed would so easily allow a point-blank shot. Annabeth may not have witnessed Leo's strength in person, but first-hand accounts of his fire's heat and power, especially lately, were enough to make Annabeth believe in him as a warrior. Surely, Greed would be privy to that knowledge as well? From Envy, perhaps?

Despite her mild protestations, Leo fired his blast, sending it out as a ball of white fire, wide enough to melt through the floor and walls. Greed seemed to have been knocked back by the attack, and it ended with a massive explosion which shook the room. The smoke was what got Annabeth, as she coughed, unprepared for it.

Leo turned back to her. "We need to get a move on," he said.

"Right, we-" she was interrupted, as a whip of fire appeared in the smoke and shot out at them as unreal speeds, slapping Leo back at least ten meters. "Leo!" she cried, though had her attention torn away, as the smoke cleared and she saw Greed again.

He was wielding the very fire that Leo had used against him.

 _Up where the mountains meet the heavens above_

 _Out where the lightning splits the sea_

 _I could swear there is someone, somewhere_

 _Watching me_

 _Through the wind, and the chill, and the rain_

 _And the storm, and the flood_

 _I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood_

Gods know Percy wanted to just keel over and die. In a split second, everything went horribly wrong, as it _always_ did with him. Jason was trapped, the vial, of which Percy had no idea what it would do, was sent flying, pushed further by Jason accidentally, and Percy now had to contend with three out of the four legends; everyone minus Theseus.

So then, _this_ was when the Fates decided to throw him a bone. Percy forced himself to stand, and by a miracle, he saw the vial headed right for him, and he nailed the catch, vaulting over Achilles attack as he did. Percy only got a brief look at it before he was attacked again, and his honest first thought was, " _Why the fuck is there a cork?!"_ which was mainly predicated on the fact that he definitely didn't have another hand to spare in order to uncork it.

So of course, he did the only logical conclusion as Jason the Argonaut and Perseus, the original, both charged at him. Adrenaline seemed to kick in briefly, and Percy managed to parry Jason's attack, kick him away, and throw the vial up into the air as he did, right in the path of Perseus' blade, slicing it open. Of course, Percy planned out that it would only slice the top off, and not through the middle; it definitely wasn't luck.

Either way, Percy likely could've willed the liquid into his mouth, but this worked just as well, even as Achilles and Perseus then double-teamed him and bashed him away using their shields.

Percy somehow remained on his feet, and not even thinking about what he was doing, down the vial and swallowed. And then…

Nothing happened. Percy saw the three attack again, charging for him as Jason was dying behind them. Perhaps it was seeing his comrade on Death's door that triggered it. The son of Poseidon felt a surge of energy, almost sending his body into shock from the force of its onset. He looked up to the sky and yelled, though his came out as a kind of mad gargle (that stuff had a terrible aftertaste).

Either way, instantly, Percy's arm healed, and he felt nothing from his other wounds that he'd sustained in Tartarus. His energy hadn't been this topped off since before Rome, and he _knew_ what he had to do.

Percy swatted Achilles' initial strike away and slashed his shield arm before vaulting over his keeled-over body to avoid a high swipe from Perseus. Percy gave him a sweeping kick on the way past, setting him up to parry and bash away Jason, sending him crashing into Perseus. Achilles was still fighting, however, and he bashed Percy with his shield, sending the son of Poseidon to the floor.

Percy rolled back onto his feet and found that getting knocked away had been beneficial; the hit had knocked him towards Jason and Theseus.

Jason the Argonaut struck next, but Percy quickly dismantled his offense, grabbed his arm and threw him away. He did the same for Perseus, who attacked shortly afterward, only he threw him to the ground, and then grabbed him by the head and dragged him along it, before throwing him into Jason the Argonaut.

Percy rolled under Achilles' strike, slashing his legs as he did, and before ducking and weaving between Theseus' water attacks. Finally, Percy leapt up and made to stab Theseus straight in the face. The legend craned his neck to avoid the attack, but Percy then shoved his other hand into Theseus', that being the one shooting the water that trapped Jason, nullifying the liquid altogether.

The son of Jupiter dropped to the ground, and Percy had to hope he'd quickly recover. Percy pulled Theseus close and then bashed his face in with the butt of his sword, before throwing him away. Percy finished off the onslaught with a massive blast of self-made water, right at the four of them, though it was just to give Jason room to breathe while he recovered. Percy then charged back into the fray, continuing to dominate the legends with his newfound power.

Jason himself had no idea what had just happened. One moment, he'd been choking, and the next he was on the ground, black dots clouding his vision. When he recovered enough to see clearly, he wasn't sure if he should believe the sight. That elixir was even more powerful than Jason realized, and he knew it'd likely get them through whatever they used it for, given how confident Hermes was about it.

What Jason didn't know was if the elixir boosted a demigod's capabilities relative to their current strength, or their total strength. In other words, was Percy boosted past his current maximum power, say from 30% up to 125%, or was his boost a constant one, say an increase of 50%, so he'd gone from 30% to 80%?

Jason really hoped that it was the former, because if this wasn't even the peak of his power and reflexes, then Jason feared that he _still_ wouldn't stand a chance against the Titan Slayer…

Eventually, Jason stood, sick of being relegated to the sidelines when he'd planned to be the one doing most of the fighting. "Fall back!" he ordered, expecting Percy to ignore him. Surprisingly, he obeyed, leaping up and blasting out water, propelling him back while keeping the legends at bay. Jason began to build up power. "Save your energy; we don't know much about that stuff you drank. It could run out when you run out of power, and then we're screwed."

Once he finished saying that, Jason shot out his built up power, creating a massive tornado which quickly lifted the legends up into the air. Soon, they were swirling around along with a multitude of debris from Hades' palace.

"What are you gonna do?" Percy questioned, remembering the pitiful display Jason showed when he'd used this against him. The son of Jupiter smirked.

"Show off a bit," he claimed, before darting into the cyclone, so fast that Percy had to steady himself form the wind he produced from his takeoff. Jason wasn't affected by his own tornado, so he simply went about his business, periodically slashing and blasting the legends with his wind. He shot powerful enough blasts to knock debris out of the tornado's pull, and the blasts carried to knock away more debris once it left.

Finally, he saw that the legends had been clumped together from the vortex, and Jason dropped to the ground. He needed to focus for this part.

All at once, Jason's body flipped a switch. The tornado disappeared in the same instant that Jason's body flashed with power, and he was surrounded by an aura of lightning. The ground beneath him glowed white, and as the legends fell down to the ground, Jason shot up lightning from the ground, amplifying its power using his own body, just as against Eurus. And just like with him, the legends were destroyed within a few seconds. Now though, Jason wasted a lot less energy and had managed to make the resulting beam more focused. It shot upwards, and seemed to hit the dome that comprised the Underworld's ceiling.

Percy looked on, a bit impressed. Jason returned to Percy, eager to hear what he thought. The son of Poseidon crossed his arms. "Nice light show," he said.

"Tch, yeah," Jason looked up, still seeing the remnants of his lightning arcing on the ceiling. "Wonder if they're gone…"

"The legends? I saw their souls leave those husks of bodies. You freed them, Jason."

"Thank the gods…" he said. Suddenly, the two felt Lust's presence, and soon his spawn sprang up and surrounded them by the hundreds.

"Maybe you spoke too soon," Percy mentioned, summoning a second blade.

"I don't think he's here yet," Jason said, readying his Regalius.

"Well, then let's make some more noise."

 _I need a hero_

 _I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_

 _He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast_

 _And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

The fight was barely one at all. It was mostly spent running, back through the various halls. Leo did his best to keep the heat off of Annabeth, but the ghosts zeroed in on her almost exclusively. And all it took was one fell swoop and a sneak attack for things to go from bad to worse.

They turned a corner, and before they could react, Greed was on them, having moved fast enough to get ahead. In an instant, he blasted Leo away with his fire, which while not burning Leo, still hit him like a truck. With the son of Hephaestus out of the way, all it took was a blow to the gut on Annabeth, followed by a kick to the head to knock her out.

Leo struggled to stand, seeing Greed pick up the proud daughter of Athena like some doll. "Put her down!" he demanded.

"Ooh, the mechanic wants to play hero," Greed mocked him. "It's by the devil's own luck that you've escaped death thus far, boy. You cannot hope to match us; you _must_ realize this."

"I won't know if I'm strong enough until I try," Leo returned. "I'm sick of being left in the dust by everyone else! Even if I'm not right now, I _will_ get strong enough to avenge Grover!" Leo lit up his flames again.

"Tch," Greed scowled. "You're a tenacious little bastard, I'll give you that, but…" as Leo ran forward to attack, he held up Annabeth's unconscious body as a shield, which stopped the boy in his tracks. "You're severely outclassed in every way. There's no chance in a million years that you'd be able to fight us, let alone beat us."

"You wanna bet? I'll take you right now!"

"Heh, no," Greed slung Annabeth over his shoulder. "Right now, I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to kill that pretty friend of yours that's currently taking up my other half's attention. That is, unless you can get to her first."

"B-but…"

"Oh, of course that means that you'll be leaving this one behind…decisions, decisions…if only you could be in two places at once, like a certain son of Jupiter you seem so inclined to follow. Unfortunate that you aren't him."

"S-shut up! I don't _want_ to be him!" Leo snapped. He drew back, seeing Greed lower his eyes and build up power. Leo needed to make a decision fast; stay and try and get Annabeth back, or save Piper…gods, but he truly wished he could do both…Leo closed his eyes. " _I'm sorry, Annabeth…"_ he thought as he ran away. " _But I can't lose another friend…please just…survive until we can get to you…"_

 _I need a hero_

 _I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_

 _He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon_

 _And he's gotta be larger than life_

Pegasus' neighing was heard even above the sounds of vicious battle. Reyna had the briefest moment to see the clouds part for the beast, as it lowered itself and the Parthenos beneath the clouds, and he was coming in far too fast to stop. " _Does he aim to break through the enemy?"_ Reyna thought, seeing the artifact suspended behind Pegasus, supported by only the wind he commanded. Truly, he was a powerful beast. " _Jason could match that,"_ Reyna thought off-handedly, though that was her Roman pride talking, admittedly.

Currently, Bianca and Winona were locked in combat with the Giant, as Reyna attempted to keep the army at bay as they dueled. The two displayed an exceptional teamwork, matching that of the Legion even, and were at least matching Lust in battle. The only thing was that Lust was showing no signs of slowing down, and the two girls, hell include Reyna in that as well, were already succumbing to fatigue and battle wounds. Bianca had a bleeding arm from a nasty gash she took, though thankfully she needed only one to wield her weapon. Meanwhile Winona was spilling ichor left and right; Lust seemed to take pleasure in watching it run down her face, staining its perfect image.

Reyna was about to call out to them, but hesitated. She didn't know what feeling it was that made her stop, but she was glad that it came. Lust was pushed back, grinning like a madman, and not because he was happy. Although before he could attack again, he flinched, as if he'd been hit, only he hadn't. The Giant straightened, looked around, and then got a wild look in his eye.

"No…why are they…?" he muttered to himself. Winona took this time to heal herself and Bianca, as much as she could with what energy she had left. It was getting to the point where she might have to hope the Giant had been weakened enough to where a blast from Bianca, followed immediately by the power of her Divine Form would be enough, but it turns out that she wouldn't need to resort to that. She wasn't sure if she'd even survive a stunt like that. "Damn it all…!" Lust shot the girls a glare. "You will perish this day!" he vowed, before disappearing. In his place, about a hundred more familiars appeared; all archers, to fire on Pegasus, who was only about twenty seconds out.

In fact, it wasn't just the new ones; all of the army morphed into archers, and none of them targeted the girls, yet. They'd likely change targets after they down their true target; Pegasus. "We need to take them down!" Winona exclaimed, and Reyna nodded and I agreement. Both girls, were stopped however, by a wall of shadow.

"No, I'll do it alone," Bianca claimed.

Winona glared. "What are you-"

"These souls need rest; I need to deliver it to them," she said somberly, removing her blindfold and turning away from them.

"You don't…you saw what happened last time," Reyna mentioned, figuring she was going to absorb and then release their energy once again. "That much power…"

"Bianca, no!" Winona begged, though Reyna held her back. "I have a Divine Form to use. It might-"

"It would kill you," Bianca interrupted. She didn't know Winona's exact limits, but she knew the Divine Form, in her partially divine state, would almost kill her even if she was at full strength. When she was weakened and fatigued like this, it wasn't even an option.

Winona bit her lip. She needed to come up with something to dissuade her friend, but her mind went blank. All she saw were flashes, seeing Bianca dead on the ground, knowing that she could've lived. "Please, don't; it isn't worth it!" the girl begged.

"It is, Win," the daughter of Hades' voice shifted, becoming notably more somber, more controlled even.

"No! I won't let you!" Winona cried. "Bianca, you could die! I can't…I couldn't…" tears cascaded down the girl's cheeks. Bianca turned back a bit, showing one of her eyes; bone white, letting off wisps of white smoke.

"For you, anything," she said, before her entire body was engulfed in shadow, and her hair stood up like a black flame. Winona kept kicking, but Reyna dragged her away, eager to get away from this newfound power.

Eventually, seeing the girl's raw power swell to dangerous levels, Winona ran with the praetor, and they cut through the army until they were free.

Bianca flexed her arms, feeling dead energy course through them until it felt like she would burst. Bianca then released her power, engulfing the entire army in a massive orb of darkness, and it was as if a thousand voices suddenly sighed with relief and were suddenly silenced.

Bianca felt Thanatos approach her, and the pain she endured was unreal; all of these lost souls, these soldiers, warriors, women, children, countrymen…all of their collective agony coalesced into her. That alone would've been enough to kill a man. Letting out a mighty roar, with the last of her strength, Bianca smashed her hands into the ground, releasing the pain and energy into a shockwave which stretched out a mile or two into the Atlantic, demolishing the remaining archers and probably most of the fish it ran into as well.

The daughter of Hades couldn't stand, let alone shadow-travel. Never before had she held that much power before, and she wasn't sure she liked it…maybe one day, she could wield that on her own, but really…Bianca would rather spend her days being useful, and not just a fighting machine. She'd leave that to the big boys; she was satisfied just being "Bianca."

Speaking of those big boys, Bianca knew she needed to get to them, that they probably needed her help, but…again, she was spent. Surely their fight would take a while…surely she could afford to rest a least a little bit.

Bianca just barely saw Pegasus soar by before she laid down and closed her eyes to sleep.

 _He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast_

 _And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

 _I need a hero_

Piper saw Leo bust back into the room alone, and through a hole in the wall no less. He shot away the crowd which was quickly regaining control of themselves, dashed to Piper, grabbed her hand, and ran. Piper saw his pained look, the tears threatening to fall; his rage at his own weakness. In an instant, Piper surmised what'd happened, and she knew that the two of them had no chance of correcting the mistake right now. They'd have to wait for more firepower.

By some miracle, they made it back to the Argo. As soon as they were aboard, Festus fired their cannons at the approaching ghosts, and soon they were soaring east.

Now, they had to wait for the others to return to deliver the awful news.

xxxXXXxxx

Greed, both bodies, met in the ball room. He could've easily gone after them, but ultimately decided that he should get their other missing piece. So long as they could revive Gaia, nothing else mattered. Unfortunately Greed needed to be one entity to teleport, and he could only fuse back together when in close proximity.

Thus, that's exactly what he did. With the daughter of Athena in hand, Greed made to go collect the Titan Slayer. With the girl as a bargaining chip, he was sure he wouldn't have too much trouble.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So I'm going to reserve much comment on the two-part battle sequence as a whole until next time, with its conclusion. This is one of three large action beats in the final book or season or whatever you want to call it.**

 **What I will say is that, yes, the song "I Need A Hero", specifically from Shrek 2, fits every part of what takes place in this chapter. I know, I clocked it...sort of.**

 **I've had this idea for-fucking-ever, and I was actually going to have something similar occur at the end of "The Cruel Spider," back when I was going for a happier and more definitive ending for that, where Percy battles, ironically, Greek legends in a like of tournament match as demigods and gods watch on. Unsurprisingly, that idea was scrapped when I finalized the ending to that fic.**

 **Also, there was a Star Wars reference, back when Star Wars was good. Don't me.**

 **In any case, thanks for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow!**

 **Quick update about the finale:**

 **When it goes live, it will be in five different chapters, for boring reason having to do with pacing and strucutre and whatnot that no one cares about. That said, I'm not making you sit through a single battle for five days. Even I'm not so cocky as to believe you'll remain invested to the end through the tedium of waiting. So, I'll post two chapters a day for the first four, and then the final, long one on a third day, so it flows a bit like the three-part finale of "The Cruel Spider."**


	67. You Are Not Alone

" _This is all wrong…"_ Octavian thought, as he was crouched in the brush. The decisive hour was upon them. Within mere moments, the fate of the Greco-Roman pantheon's future would be decided. Who would dominate; Greek or Roman? Or would both perish? Either way, the rivers would flood from both rain and blood tonight.

The son of Minerva gritted his teeth; he _couldn't_ leave this up to chance. It was something in his bones, some primal feeling; this was wrong in every way. And yet with Lupa's deafening presence, he remained silent. Surely, Reyna would not have been so cowardly as to capitulate to this mad gamble…

The three Greek prisoners had been left within the camp, to be used as bait. They would call for help, the Greeks would rush to their side, and then the Legion would strike. Special considerations were made to have the prisoners believe that the Romans were still occupying that encampment, when in reality, they'd moved far away.

Finally, when he first saw the Greek leather armor protrude like a stain on the park's green background, Octavian's heart sank. No longer could he hope that this wouldn't happen. No longer could he pretend that there was any hope of peace.

Lupa growled low and quiet next to him, her fur matted down from the constant downpour; she seemed eager to taste Fallen blood, more so than Octavian would've thought, though perhaps she was faking the intensity, in order to inspire the Romans not to hold back.

The Greeks seemed confused and hesitant at the quiet, and yet they entered like cattle to their pen. Once they'd gathered, once they'd let their guard down, Lupa would call for a strike.

Octavian closed his eyes, heart pounding in his chest. He willed for it to stop, for him to _want_ to slaughter these Greeks, and yet he couldn't. Surely, Reyna wouldn't have wanted this. Surely, Tempus wouldn't have wanted this, had she been here…gods, but he begged for her guidance.

"Anything, for the Legion," Lupa growled next to him, as if sensing his apprehension. Octavian silently gasped, having held his breath in trying to calm himself. He looked around. He wanted to see the others in similar states of hesitation, but all he saw, in their wet, ragged, home-sick faces were the hungry eyes of a wolf pack; the hungry eyes of conquerors, of Romans.

That was when Octavian made a pivotal decision, and it was purely on the spur of the moment. Octavian stood from his hiding place, before Lupa called for an attack. He stepped out, hearing quiet protestations from his people, but Octavian didn't stop.

He felt Lupa boring into him, glaring at him with hungry, disappointed eyes. Right now, he didn't care. He would do _anything_ to protect the Legion, including disobey their Mother.

"Wait!" Octavian called, after he made enough distance between himself and the others. Should he fail, he didn't want to give away their position. The Greeks whirled around to face him, swords, spears, and shields poised to kill. "Please, I beg of you to listen to me."

"You…you're the second-in-command?" one man questioned. It was difficult to make out much about him, though Octavian saw that one side of his face had been torn off in the past. The sight made the Roman want to vomit.

"That's correct," Octavian said. "You can do with me what you will, but I need you to hear me out before you do."

"Why should we?"

"Because I believe that you all, in the deepest recesses of your hearts and souls, know as much as I do that this war must stop," Octavian said. "We are all children of the gods; should we not be above this petty squabbling?"

"Petty?" an older voice sounded, and the centaur named Chiron clopped into view. "You housed a war criminal and your goddess killed one of us," he recalled. "Would you think it petty if we took one of your own?"

"I…"

"Young man, you may be an honest soul, and I may have once believed as you do. But the Fates, it seems, wish for one side to eradicate the other."

"Why must you draw that conclusion? Perhaps it was a test!" Octavian offered, though he realized he wasn't putting up a very convincing argument. "Please, you must see reason."

"This is the _only_ reasonable solution," Chiron readied his spear.

"That it is," Lupa growled, prowling into view. Chiron immediately faced her, knowing that she could tear through the Greeks if she wanted. "We have stood in the Fallen's shadow for far too long. No longer shall the gods assume their lesser forms."

"Lesser?" Chiron huffed. "I advise you to retract that statement, wolf."

"No, you two are…gah…!" Octavian shook his head; this was getting him nowhere. "Please, you _must_ stop this! Even if one side prevails, the amount of bloodshed-"

"A necessary sacrifice!" Lupa howled, signaling the Legion to charge. They pounded out of the brush surrounding the camp, quickly surrounding the Greek force in its entirety. All it would take was another howl from Lupa, or a declaration of war from Chiron, and then the blood would begin to flow. The two circled each other, ready to fight to the death.

"I said _stop_!" Octavian yelled, to little avail. Seeing that his words were getting him nowhere, Octavian charged into the fray. Before either guardian could attack, he stepped in between them. "I won't allow this to happen!"

"You only succeed in quickening your death!" Chiron claimed, stabbing his spear toward the boy. Lupa bit his shirt collar and threw him out of the way. The side effect of this was that the Romans shifted to one side, trying to back up Octavian who'd been thrown near the Greek line. Now, unlike the plan, the two sides were directly opposed. Lupa was snarling, and both sides were shouting insults and roaring and gnashing their teeth in a mixture of excitement and raw brutality.

Octavian forced his eyes shut; he couldn't bear to witness such bloodshed. " _I'm sorry, Reyna…"_ he thought. The feeling of failure was an odd one, given that she told him to continue with the plan. He wondered if she'd even survived the trip. Soon enough, he'd find out when he dies and goes to the Underworld.

"The centaur strikes at us!" Lupa exclaimed, howling. "To war!"

"Greeks! Attack!" Chiron ordered.

The two sides charged, ready to end themselves, when suddenly, a rain of golden arrows flew down between them and exploded into a wall of sunlight, separating them briefly. The two sides hesitated just long enough for two figures were to swoop down off of a Pegasus and landed between the two forces.

xxxXXXxxx

A few moments earlier…

"This isn't good," Reyna said as she and Winona ran. The blond girl was silent. "The operation should be happening already…we may be too late…"

"…"

"Hey, lass," Reyna grabbed Winona's arm and stopped. "Bianca will be fine, you hear?"

"What do you know?" Winona yanked her arm away.

"Well, I know that I was right," Reyna crossed her arms. "She was trying to protect you. She made that fairly clear, you must admit, lass."

"…"

Reyna whistled, calling her Pegasus, Scipio. The steed soon came, and the two climbed aboard. They soon caught up to Pegasus and passed him; the Parthenos having slowed him down significantly, especially when not in open air anymore since he came through the cloud barrier.

Winona's grip suddenly tightened around Reyna's waist. "Why can't I save anyone?" she demanded. "I know I can, but no one will let me…"

Reyna had been told that Winona has great healing capabilities. She'd also been told about the incident with that Michael Yew fellow. "…Stopping people from dying…" Reyna mused. "…It'd be a useful ability. It's unfortunate that no one, not even the gods, can wield it without great cost."

"I'd pay _anything_."

"Don't say that too lightly, lass," Reyna advised. "It's a sure-fire way to get yourself a ticket to Davy Jones' Locker."

"…"

"Lass, I…I know what it's like, to lose someone close to you."

"…We've all lost someone," Winona claimed, knowing for a fact that she was far from the only one to have had someone they cared about killed in the Titan War.

"Well…have you had anyone there to lean on?" she wondered. Winona didn't answer, and after a minute, Reyna heard the girl sniffling. Soon, she'd buried her face into the praetor's back. It wasn't that difficult to imagine; Bianca is constantly taking trips, and Winona is constantly misinterpreting her actions as unfeeling and noncommittal. If that was the only meaningful relationship she had…

Gods know Reyna would've buckled under the weight of her sorrow after Tempus's death, after seeing Jason so broken from the loss. But they were there for each other, and the rest of the Legion stood by their side when they needed to stand tall, as tall as the mighty Titans.

"It never stops hurting…" Reyna recalled, still feeling remnants of the emptiness she'd felt the day after. "You may be a Greek, and you may be a goddess, but I swear on my Roman honor that I'll be there for you. And right now, you need to be there for me as well."

She felt the girl's nod, face still smushed into her back. Eventually, Winona sniffled again, removing herself from Reyna. The praetor looked back briefly, seeing Winona shaking her head and slapping her cheeks a couple of times. After several deep breaths, she looked almost normal.

"Are you going to be alright, lass?"

With a shaky breath, Winona nodded. Then, with a fiery determination that Reyna wasn't expecting to have returned so quickly, Winona said, "Come on. We have a war to stop."

They soared over New York City at blazing speeds, diving as fast as Scipio could to Central Park. They saw that the Greeks and Romans had already started confronting each other, though Reyna noticed that the plan wasn't going as well as she'd…well, planned.

The two opposing sides seemed raring to go at each other, and as they drew close, Reyna saw the two charge. On complete instinct, both Reyna and Winona leapt off of Scipio, in order to stop the fighting before it even occurred. Winona summed her bow and let loose a rain of arrows between them, separating them long enough for them to land.

Reyna landed facing Lupa, and Winona facing Chiron. Both girls had their weapons drawn and ready.

"Win?" Sherman wondered from the front of the line.

"Surely, you don't mean to-" Chiron was about to question, but the girl raised her bow even further, silently threatening them should they not stop. It silenced them right quick, if not angered them all.

Reyna saw, surprisingly, that Lupa had joined in the Legion's assault. The wolf guardian snarled at the daughter of Bellona. "Traitor!" she exclaimed. "You conspire with the enemy?!"

"Reyna," Octavian seemed to be the only one happy to see her. The others' emotions ranged from confused, to angry, to still-in-battle-mode-hungry.

"I am no traitor," Reyna claimed. "For the Greeks are not our enemies!"

"You lie!" Lupa padded back and forth. "They spread falsehoods of our most honored gods. They question choices that they have no right to. They tarnish the reputation of the demigod and have done so for over a century!" she kept snapping her jaws threateningly. If Winona hadn't been there to back her up, Reyna might've been frozen.

"I won't hear any more of this!" Reyna snapped back, surprising herself with her courage. Even Lupa seemed a bit stunned that she'd talk back so vehemently. "The years have clouded our judgement. This…this hatred between Greeks and Romans is not the fault of us nor any god or goddess. Both sides are flawed very deeply. The Greeks lack togetherness except in crisis. We Romans are ambitious to dangerous levels. It was by one of _our_ blood that this hatred was born!"

"What proof do you have?" Chiron questioned.

"We don't have any to offer, but it's the truth," Winona claimed. "Percy, Jason, and the others were sent to reclaim an artifact, and they got it. They had other business, so we got it to return it now," she said. On cue, Pegasus neighed, and came tearing out of the sky, the Parthenos along with it. The mighty beast kept it aloft, seemingly not sure where to put it.

"Is that…" Chiron's eyes were wide with shock. "I'd thought it lost…"

Reyna turned to face him. "It's by both Greek and Roman prowess and ingenuity that this was retrieved. Alone, either side would have failed. Even now, the demigods in the Ancient Lands fight to defeat the Giants and prevent their endgame from wiping us all out."

"Endgame?"

"The Giants' plan is far more dangerous than we could've imagined," Winona claimed. "They plan to resurrect Gaia and use her to wipe out all of Olympus."

The shock spread quickly. "And so you must set aside your differences to face this threat," Reyna claimed. Both girls stepped toward Chiron, and held out their hands. "Please, with this show of faith and goodwill, we return to the Greeks their rightful power. Please, let this be the beginning of an era of peace between us."

Chiron didn't have to accept it. The declaration was enough. The Parthenos glowed with silver light and a wave of it washed over the entire area. Almost immediately, a relief fell over the gathered demigods. Many of them started blinking, as if waking up from a dream or trance. Some held their heads, like they were fighting the influence induced by the artifact.

Lupa still seemed tense, but even she knew to stay her hand. She padded up to Chiron. The two stared at each other. "Your praetor makes a powerful argument," Chiron claimed.

"Indeed. Perhaps…perhaps we'd been hasty in both of our assumptions."

"I concur…"

"Reyna…" Lupa turned to her. "…You were to be Rome's greatest weapon, not its savior."

"It seems that destinies are subject to change," Reyna claimed.

"…You have grown into a wise young woman," Lupa conceded, which was the first compliment Reyna had received from the wolf. "I would be satisfied in attempting this…proposed peace."

"As would I. It shall be official at once," Chiron beat the butt of his spear into the ground as if closing the case. In relief, Reyna and Winona embraced each other. It'd been a long journey, and it would be an even longer one to shift each camp's normal paradigms to include the other, but gods know it was worth it.

Reyna looked east. All that was left was to hope that things were going well for the others.

xxxXXXxxx

Things could not have gone worse in the Underworld. But that's getting ahead.

As it was, things were intense, but manageable. Barely; and that's the key word.

To summarize, Jason and Percy were currently systematically tearing through Lust spawn as fast as they were being summoned. Percy was relying on Hermes' elixir to not die, and they had no idea when that was going to run out, only that it eventually would, and he would essentially have the worst hangover in the world once it did. Jason, meanwhile, was simultaneously flexing his powers as much as he could and trying to conserve energy whenever possible. The latter because they still might have to fight a Giant, and the former because, against his better judgement, he couldn't let Percy outshine him.

Eventually, the fighting stopped. The familiars all stopped attacking and then sunk back into the ground. Almost immediately after that, they felt Lust's presence appear in full force, and then he was there. The Giant seemed a bit peeved, and who could know why.

"Finally decided to show up?" Jason goaded him; best let him attack in anger. Hopefully, it'd be sloppy.

"What? Were the girls too much for you to handle?" Percy similarly egged him on. The Giant didn't answer, head hung low. They heard him muttering to himself a bit, before holding his hand out to the side.

"You both…" he spoke with a certain edge to his voice, like at any moment he could fly into an unholy rage. "Have been thorns in my side for _far too long_ …" the two felt a huge power emanating from him, though they couldn't yet determine what it was. "And now, I'm _sick_ of it…today…you perish!" Lust's head snapped up, his eyes glowing the color of lavender, shining bright and harsh.

His outstretched hand flexed, and then a wave of shadows arced out in unison with it. The demigods couldn't postulate or react at all before the Giant disappeared into the shadows and reappeared in their midst.

He grabbed Percy by the arm, the shadows burning into his skin, before throwing him up into the air, where he was more vulnerable and less mobile. Jason tried to attack, but was blasted away.

Lust followed up as Percy stopped rising, appearing beside the Titan Slayer and attacking. Percy twisted around the strike, but wasn't fast enough to counter before Lust disappeared again. This time, when he reappeared, Lust landed a hit onto Percy, bashing him back into the ground, hard. The son of Poseidon somehow landed on his feet, and, sensing danger, raised Riptide to block a shadow-blade meant for his heart.

Jason came to his aid then. As Percy parried the strike, Jason blew away the shadows with his wind, revealing Lust hiding within them. The demigods rushed toward him, but he seemed to almost float away. The Giant held his hand out and shot out a wave of shadows. Percy slid under the first cluster, which forced Jason to parry them with his blade and wind. Percy got to Lust first. The Giant's hands became infused with the shadows, extending them out as blades. Unfortunately for him, Percy was one of the greatest swordsmen to have ever lived, especially with his boosted strength.

The Titan Slayer easily rocked through Lust's defense and laid down a devastating cross-slash. Lust backed away, trying to give himself some room, but Jason was then on him. The Roman was cloaked in lightning, dashing toward him.

Lust slashed downward, but Jason disappeared. Then, Lust was blasted away from behind by a bolt of lightning; the Jason approaching him had only been an afterimage of his movement.

The Giant was sent flying back toward Percy, who kicked him away immediately. The two demigods regrouped then, as Lust stood. "Tell us how you have these powers. Envy didn't mention them in its book."

"Tch, of course it didn't," Lust spat, standing. Truthfully, the assault hadn't harmed him much at all. It merely fueled his rage. "Because when it observed me, I did not have these abilities."

"What are you talking about?" Percy demanded.

"You truly are ignorant of the world," Lust claimed. "The Giants were meant to usurp and replace the gods."

"Yeah, so?"

"Our mother granted us the only ability we needed to accomplish that task, to wield the powers of the gods in their entirety."

"Enough with the cryptic nonsense! Spill it!" Percy demanded, though Jason beat him to it.

"You steal peoples' powers," he guessed. "Probably when you kill them."

"Oh, aren't you _clever_!" Lust roared as his power exploded again. The Giant disappeared again. Percy and Jason readied their blades, and saw Lust briefly pop out of the shadows, though only long enough to fire off these shots of shadow. They were more akin to bullets or arrows than anything, and they came just as fast. Percy had to back up into Jason to block them all, and with Lust's next wave, Jason had to the do the same.

This went on and on, and it was clear that Lust was trying to tire them out; he knew that he had more stamina than them. Jason leapt up into the air, trying to find some pattern for his attack, but couldn't discern one. Percy was seemingly able to keep up his defense, but the mental strain of reacting so fast for so long would wear him out quickly. They needed to get Lust out into the open again.

The son of Jupiter's thoughts were interrupted, as Lust appeared beside him and blasted him out of the sky, back toward Hades' old palace. Percy rushed to his aid, but was blocked. Lust floated back away from him again and shot out a wave of shadow blades, which he was forced to parry in turn. They came at such a rapid pace that it forced him backwards, and they kept coming without end, allowing Lust his time with Jason.

The Roman cloaked himself in lightning, but Lust had already disappeared by the time he was ready to attack. He heard the Giant laughing, but that didn't help pinpoint his location. Rather, it felt like he had surrounded him entirely, encompassing the entire Underworld.

"How does it feel, little demigod?" Lust questioned. "To have fought so hard for so long, only to fail…"

"Sorry, but you should wait to say that until we stop breathing," Jason returned, not allowing himself to succumb to Lust's attempts at making him despair. Jason closed his eyes. He knew that immortals could sense other immortals. Gods, but he wished demigods shared that ability. They didn't, by the way. Still, Jason heard wind from Lust's body moving; the shadows were merely visual, they didn't hide the wind. And Jason could pinpoint the wind. "There!" Jason shot his hand forward and a concentrated bolt of lightning shot out into the darkness.

Lust let out a cry of pain, not expecting the attack to land. The shadows around them suddenly dispersed. Percy, now not being attacked, rushed toward Lust, who leapt away with his Gigantic strength. Percy shot a blast of water at him, but Lust was fast, bouncing the attack away with his shadows. The Giant growled a bit, but then smirked. "Thank you, sir, may I have another?" he wondered, before his shadows were renewed and in greater quantity, surrounding the two entirely, forcing them back-to-back.

"Damn it, none of this is working!" Percy exclaimed.

"Oh, don't start that!" Jason returned. The two let out a simultaneous blast, dispersing the shadows if only briefly. Jason dashed forward on the wind, toward the Giant.

"Hey! You don't get a head-start!" Percy called after him, though he was ignored. Jason alternated sword slashes and wind blasts, pushing the Giant back toward Hades' destroyed palace. Eventually, Lust put up a defense and knocked Jason away, only to be then attacked by Percy. Jason stood quickly, not wanting to be outdone by the Greek.

The two took turns taking shots; each time Lust would focus on one, the other would jump in. Finally, Lust's shadows seemed to struggle to respond. That meant he was either losing control or he was finally weakening. And thank the gods; at the rate they were going, Jason didn't know how much longer the elixir would last on the son of Poseidon.

"Jason, on me!" Percy suddenly called, leaping into the air after Lust, who'd attempted to escape into his shadows again.

"Right!" Jason quickly caught up, and a miracle happened. The demigods moved simultaneously, almost as one entity, using broad, sweeping slashes using both of their blades, both infused with their respective powers, leaving trails of green and white in their wake, before raising their blades together, and letting loose a devastating downward slash to finish. Lust went flying into Hades' palace, while the demigods landed just outside of it. "A-hal-right!" the two high-fived, satisfied with their work.

"Yeah, there's no way he's-" Percy was about to say they was no way he could get up from that, but then the Giant roared, like a bestial animal. They heard a rumbling from the palace, and soon saw one of the larger pieces of debris move. At first, Jason assumed it was because they'd buried him in it, but he soon realized his mistake; Lust was trying to throw it at them.

The rubble was the size of a small building, made of the same material as the House was. "You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

Lust, with another roar, hurled the object at them. Together once again, Percy and Jason shot their respective elements at it, water and wind, hoping to either blast it apart or stop it. With a push, they managed to do the latter, right as it was about to crush them. Percy stopped shooting then, and Jason at first thought he was getting out of the way, but then he jumped on top of it.

"What are you-"

"Hey, hey, he's coming; give me a boost!" Percy interrupted. Left with little choice, Jason built up power within himself and then released it as a massive blast of wind, one that could've torn into a mountain, sending the debris back with triple the force it had towards them.

Percy, on top of it, drew Oathkeeper and slit his arm, building up his own power, though he knew it'd likely drain him dry. A ball of red formed in his palm as he leapt slightly back from the rubble. As he'd suspected, the Giant simply blasted it apart rather than avoid or stop it. Right as he did, Percy shot himself forward with his water, right into Lust. As he landed, he plunged the red ball into the Giant, and the entire area exploded with energy, sending Percy flying away. The force was so great that Jason was blown back quite a bit too.

As the dust settled, Jason looked to where the epicenter of the blast was. Percy was alone, and for a moment, it looked as if he'd incinerated the Giant. But of course, that would've been too easy.

Instead, he heard laughing, before Percy began swaying, vision spiraling from fatigue. He couldn't even react as Lust appeared from the shadows and blasted him away. Jason leapt up and caught him before he was thrown right back into Tartarus, and lowered them both to the ground.

"Oh, but it seems your best wasn't good enough, Titan Slayer. Doesn't that sound familiar?" the Giant mocked, holding his hands out to his sides and forming massive power in each of them, before rising into the air on a pillar of shadows.

"S-shut up!" Percy snapped back, though his voice was weaker than he likely intended. He couldn't even take a step forward, however, and simply collapsed onto the ground, spent of energy almost completely. "D-damn it…that was everything I had…"

" _Please_ tell me you're joking about that," Jason said, mind racing to think of a way to beat this Giant. Lust flexed one of his arms, and shadows shot out to strike at them. Jason managed to grab Percy and dart away, hiding behind some rubble. Percy collapsed once again when Jason released him.

"Come on, get up," Jason ordered, forcing Percy to his feet, only for him to drop to his knees again. "Get up! I still need you!"

"Just…leave me," Percy begged, eyes closed in defeat. "I'm worthless…no better than those already in the grave…"

"Get a grip!" Jason snapped, kneeling down and grabbing the man by the shoulders. "Gods, you give up so easily!"

"You think I want to?" Percy returned.

" _No, stop arguing!"_ Jason said in his head. "Percy…you can be so much more than you think…"

"Don't you get it, Grace? I just hit that bastard with everything I had and he just walked it off!"

"Are you the only one fighting?!" Jason demanded, causing the Titan Slayer to recoil.

"I'm just…I'm tired of failing, no matter how hard I try…" he lamented. "You wouldn't understand; you're Mr. Perfect."

"I _do_ understand, Percy. All too well, I know what it's like to lose family, to lose control, to fail. Your best might not be enough, ever. That might not change, but what has changed is that you don't have to be alone anymore. And for all of the familiars he summons, for all of the powers he steals, Lust is alone. Now you've got to get up and fight with me, because I _can't_ beat him by myself. Got it?"

"I…I don't know if I can-"

They were interrupted as their cover was destroyed by a blast. Jason drew his sword, with Percy shakily doing the same. They must've been preoccupied with their pep talk, because now they were surrounded by a dome of darkness, almost emanating power. Lust looked to be straining considerably, likely aiming for a massive attack. With any luck, that meant that if they could survive it, then he might be weak enough to kill. That was _big_ 'if,' though.

"You will die together!" Lust roared, as a storm of shadowy bullets rained down upon them. Jason moved like the wind, deflecting any that came near him, and trying to cover for Percy, who was struggling to even stay on his feet. Eventually, he couldn't even do that, falling to his hands and knees.

"Percy!" Jason called, but he knew that the demigod wasn't getting back up, not without a good reason or from a sudden burst of adrenaline. With no other choice, Jason shot his hands out, sending out a wave of wind, before shifting his powers to lightning, forming close to a full barrier around them. With each hit, though, it grew weaker. Jason roared, straining from the exertion, before sending the blast outward in a blinding light.

Jason nearly fell to the ground himself as the light faded. Good news; he repelled the attack. Bad news; it left him drained as well. Honestly, he had no idea how long he could keep up this pace. Surely, if another attack like that came, he'd be toast, especially with Percy down for the count.

The son of Jupiter couldn't even react as Lust shot toward him and struck, knocking him far behind Percy, who was next on the Giant's list. "Jason!" Percy had managed to get to his feet, though still looked weak. He tried to run back, but was cut off with Lust's shadowy blade held to his neck.

"It's been fun, but it's time for your meddling to end," the Giant said, rearing back his blade and thrusting it forward at the Titan Slayer. What he didn't expect was for Jason to have recovered so quickly.

The son of Jupiter flexed his powers in a way he didn't even know he could. At the time, in the frantic moment, he didn't know if he was moving so fast that he looked like he was in two places at once, or if he forced his lightning to create a copy. Either way, one Jason shot up to block the strike, while the other was pounding forward as it happened. The son of Jupiter didn't know what came over him; likely, he remembered his promise. He _wasn't_ going to let Percy die.

The first Jason was blasted away, melting into light and disappearing. The second, real Jason tugged on Percy's collar, pulling him backward as Lust attempted another kill shot. Jason clashed briefly with the Giant, only to be parried and struck in the side. Time slowed down as Jason was turned in the air towards Percy, who held a look of shock on his face. Riptide was held in one hand, and the other was reaching forward, as if grasping for a second weapon.

" _This is my faith in you,"_ Jason thought, before holding out his Regalius, still in sword from, and yelling, "Face me!"

Instinct kicked in, as if by a miracle. Percy caught himself and then dashed forward at the words, almost looking to want to attack Jason, just like the last time he'd heard those words. Instead, he accepted the torch in his second hand, and one last burst of energy filled him.

Percy became a whirlwind of Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold, hacking and slashing madly into the unprepared Giant, before knocking him up into the air. Percy leapt up after him, only to have bullets of shadow shoot toward him. Percy didn't know whether Jason aided him, or if Lust simply missed, but Percy got a clear shot toward the Giant. In one swift motion, Percy stabbed Riptide into the Giant's abdomen, before lurching around and stabbing the Regalius into his back.

The two landed, Lust between Percy and Jason. Jason's lightning, still infused in the blade, caused Lust to momentarily be held in place. "Use it all!" Percy said, building up power for one last attack. Jason shot his hand up to the sky.

"Give me strength!" he called as a bolt of lightning fell onto him, the power gathering in his hand. In synch, the two demigods unleashed all of their remaining power into the Giant, engulfing him in a massive explosion of white light, or Aether.

The blast enlarged, engulfing the demigods, and expanding far past them, incinerating the palace's remains, stretching into Tartarus, and was seen all the way back the defunct check-in stations.

When all was said and done, Lust was gone, vaporized by their combined might.

Victory had been achieved.

Of course, in typical demigod fashion, it was short-lived. While Lust himself was destroyed, his essence and energy lingered, summoning another whole army of familiars with no other purpose than to kill them. And now, with both sapped on energy, death was all but ensured. Jason doubted they could hold out long enough for Lust's energy to dissipate, even as both of their weapons, now in the hands of their respective owners, still held a bit of power that had been infused into them. The two were quickly separated, despite their best efforts.

Thankfully, half of their salvation arrived, as Bianca suddenly appeared via shadow-travel, right next to Jason. "Sorry I'm late; I had an army to fight," she said. "Where's Percy?"

Jason lacked the strength to even form a sentence anymore, only pointed into the sea of dead men. "Too…weak…" he managed. Just then, as well, a massive power descended upon them. The demigods soon felt the presence of another Giant, falling right into the center of the army, near where Percy was.

"Damn it!" Bianca cursed.

"Need to…" Jason tried to raise his blade, but failed.

"No, we…" Bianca's voice caught briefly. "We need to get out of here…while we can…"

"But…Percy…"

"I-I'm sorry, Jason," Bianca said. "They need him yet; we can still save him," she claimed, though sounded unsure at best, completely hopeless at worst. Nonetheless, Bianca used up most of the rest of her own power to shadow-travel the two of them out of there, and back onto the Argo II. There, they noticed one more head missing.

xxxXXXxxx

"Damn it…" Percy lamented, using all of his power to repel the familiars that'd surrounded him. It felt like an eternity before it stopped, but when it did, it stopped violently. Something crashed into the army, scattering them; another Giant.

Percy dropped to his knees, unsure of what was even happening. For his fatigued, injured mind, this was too much to comprehend. The man that appeared seemed somewhat normal, if not for the unconscious girl slung over his shoulder. "Is that…?" Percy wondered, holding his still-bleeding arm. The man smirked, and revealed her. "Annabeth!" Percy shot to his feet, only for his vision to suddenly go black, forcing him to one knee. "Let her go!"

"Ooh, poor manners for someone so weak," the Giant mocked him. "Now, here's the deal, Titan Slayer. You're coming with me, whether you like it or not. If you refuse, well…" he gripped around Annabeth's throat, causing her to begin to choking.

"You bastard, I'll-"

"You'll what? I doubt you could even beat a Drachanae in your condition," the Giant claimed. "Now. Are you going to come quietly, or do I have to get nasty?"

Percy grit his teeth. If they had both him and Annabeth, then…He had Oathkeeper and Riptide. He could end it here, kill himself. Annabeth would probably be disposed of, and they could at least be together in death, but…who knows what the Giants would do to the others…besides, they killed Lust; that doesn't mean they couldn't send someone else to rule the Underworld in his place. Then, Percy and Annabeth, and likely everyone else who'd opposed them in the first Giant War, would be sent to eternal punishment.

More importantly, though, they'd be leaving Lucy behind in this hellish world.

His only choice was to hope for a miracle.

"I'll…I'll go with you…"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the bombastic nature of this action beat. I know I did.**

 **These two chapters were more or less planned from the beginning of "United We Stand", with the three separate scenes tied together through the song, going into this final part with the first instance of Percy and Jason setting aside their differences and not only fighting together, but realizing that they actually have incredibly fighting chemistry.**

 **That said, these chapters are full of references, big and small, mostly to video games or things associated with them.**

 **Going backwards, several beats in the Jason and Percy v. Lust fight were taken from the Kingdom Hearts series. when they combined their powers at the end is similar to when Sora and Riku combine their powers at the end of their Session limit break, mixed in with that final part of the Xenmas fight where Sora takes Riku's Keyblade and all that jazz.**

 **Similarly, the big dome of darkness is basically ripped right from that fight as well, altered to fit with Percy losing his power at the end, forcing Jason to take over instead of just a fade to white as in the game.**

 **When they do their big combination attacks, with the one ending in the big downward slash is from Dream Drop Distance, with the...touch screen move that I can't remember the name of, for the final world.**

 **Right after that, when they stop and then shoot out a building, is also from the Xemnas fight, but with the one right before the final one, where they shoot the building.**

 **When Winona and Reyna land between the two armies is actually a reference to (and don't ask me why this particular shot stuck out so much to me) Lion King 2, when the two leads leap and land between Simba and the Scar-ripoff-lady at the end. Again, I don't know why that stuck out to me.**

 **So there's that from this chapter. In the previous chapter, there's a few more more:**

 **So there's the sequence where Percy first drinks the elixir and has to rescue Jason from Theseus. That's a mix between the one sequence in Dead Fantasy II, where Tifa does something very similar, and when Xemnas does his "Can you spare a heart" move in the final fight of KH2, where you play as Riku to rescue Sora.**

 **When Percy drags (insert name of legend that I can't remember here)'s head along the ground is also a Dead Fantasy II reference, from when Tifa does the same thing to (insert name of Dead or Alive fighter that I can't remember here) as they fight along the side of the tower.**

 **W** **hen Bianca does her big move at the end of the last chapter, I always imagined it as similar to that scene at the end of KH 358/2 Days (horrible title btw) when Riku assumes Ansem's form against Roxas.**

 **So yeah, you can call me uncreative now and I won't argue lol**

 **Apologies if you don't particularly care about this kind of stuff, but I feel like it's important to give credit where credit is due, especially when I make such heavy use of homages/references in my fan works. Trust me, I don't use hardly anything at all in my original works.**

 **Wit that said, though, I will bid you all ado until tomorrow!**


	68. Tortured Individuals

Jason took a deep breath. Here he was; bloodied, beaten, completely out of power, and yet he was supposed to inspire the others into action? How? In the only way he could. "Keep your chins up," he ordered, as the others were fascinated by their toes. "Why are you all so saddened?

"B-because…" Piper began.

"Because we failed!" Leo beat his fist into the ground in anger. " _I_ failed! They have Annabeth!"

"And Percy too…" Bianca added, looking even more dejected than the rest of them.

"You call stopping a war between demigods and killing a Giant a failure?" Jason questioned, causing them to avoid his demanding gaze. "I'd call it an overwhelming victory, myself."

"Who do you think you're kidding, man?" Leo asked, voice bitter. "You heard what Envy said in the book; so long as Pride summons Gaia, we're through! And now he has the means to do it!"

"True. Guess that makes our next move easier to decide on then."

"What? You can't possibly be thinking-"

"I _won't_ let Pride win. If he wants to beat us, to topple Olympus, we're going to bring him down right the hell along with us," Jason vowed. "Look, even if they're summoning Gaia as we speak, doesn't mean we lose, not necessarily."

"But…"

"Okay, let's assume that Gaia is awake and under Pride's control. We're in the air, where Gaia has no control. That buys us a few days, which we can use to make it back to the ocean, where Gaia also doesn't have any control. We can work around her, right?"

"But…that's not the issue. She's…she's too strong to fight," Piper brought up.

"Maybe," Jason admitted. "If I were Pride, I'd take out the camps first. With them gone, Olympus would be relatively defenseless. So, while Gaia is targeting the camps, we nail Pride, all together, and at least break his hold on her. With any luck, then she'll be on our side."

"But…all of our friends…"

"Victory…" Jason closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh; he needed to drink in the ramifications of his next words. "Victory will come at any cost. I can only try to minimize those. That's my promise."

The heavy atmosphere didn't lift from those extremely joyful words. Jason continued.

"But that's the worst case scenario. Piper, does the book say when the Feast will happen?" he asked. The girl shook her head, still not looking at him.

"It'll be in three days," Leo claimed. "That's when Greed said that Annabeth would be dead."

"And when can we get there?"

"…In just under three days…" Leo muttered.

"Then why don't I see you at the helm, Leo?"

"But-"

"Hurry!" Jason ordered; perhaps a bit harsh, but they needed to at least be moving as they discussed. The impish boy recoiled at the snap, and scrambled up to the controls. Within a few minutes, the Argo was soaring toward Mt. Olympus.

"…Do you really think that we can stop the Feast?" Bianca asked.

"I have to believe we can, because you slackers are hopeless," Jason smirked. The gesture seemed to lift their spirits out of total despair, though only just. "Alright. We have three days to recover. I say we plan now and rest the rest of the way. Sound good?"

The three nodded. "Pride said he'd be alone," Bianca recalled. "In case things went south."

"Knowing his brain, things won't, unless we intervene," Piper said.

"Agreed. But him being alone isn't entirely true. Envy said it needs to play its part or something like that, right? My bet is that Envy will be there too."

"It…it did seem to steal my energy when we touched. Long shot, maybe it will be stealing and siphoning Percy and Annabeth's power into Gaia?" Piper offered.

"It's as good a guess as any. Either way, we're going to need someone to get Percy and Annabeth out of there. Leo, that'll be you. If you see Envy," he suddenly got a fire in his eye. "You turn it to ash and get the hell out of there, yeah? If all goes well and it somehow survives, we'll deal with it properly then, alright?"

"With pleasure," he growled.

"Okay, we're cutting this a bit close. I haven't the faintest idea how this is going to work, so I've got two plans. First, assuming that the summoning with be in one massive burst that we get there before. If that's the case, Piper you're backup. Bianca, you're with me; we're getting Pride away from the ritual long enough for Leo to get Percy and Annabeth."

"What's the other plan?"

"That's if the summoning is a process, so it'll be almost done, or if we get there after the hypothetical burst to where Gaia is already summoned. If that happens, we'll immediately need to stop Pride, before he can sway Gaia's mind. I have a few ideas on that, but my main one is…" Jason bit his lip.

"What?"

"Well…the Argo is pretty deadly…could be even more with some homemade Celestial Bronze explosives," Jason mentioned.

"Oh no way, nu-uh!" Leo argued. "You wanna kill Festus!"

"Festus is the head; you can remove it, right? Or is he necessary to run this thing?"

"Well, no he isn't, but…" Leo grit his teeth. "Aagh! Fine! I'll see what I can do…"

"Okay. That'll be our initial plan, then. If that fails, then we'll need a back-up. If we're all not dead or unconscious, then Bianca and I will charge Pride, try and distract him. Piper, you need to work your magic on Gaia."

"What?" the daughter of Aphrodite stood. "Are you insane?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Jason answered automatically.

"My powers don't even work on regular immortals; what makes you think it'll work on something so powerful?"

"Because you're the strongest thing we've got," he said immediately. Piper recoiled, realizing she'd forgotten herself and let her powers affect him, twice. Jason shook his head. "I mean, Piper…Pride will be affecting Gaia's mind when she's half-asleep. Why can't you?"

"Well, because…because…you're insane!" she exclaimed.

"That _does_ sound like it came out of left-field," Bianca mentioned.

"Well, then we'd better hope it doesn't come to that. But if it does, Piper…you need to at least try. Please, for me?" She bit her lip, but nodded. Jason took a deep breath. "Okay, is everyone clear on what they're doing?" Uneasily, they all nodded in turn. Jason took a deep breath. "Guys, I…I don't know what to say to help, but just…we can do great things, all of us. We've come this far as a team. We may not like each other, may have argued and squabbled and gotten into ruts, but we're still here, and we have a job to do. Yeah?"

Jason didn't know what he was expecting. Leo seemed to pretend not to have heard. Both he and Bianca looked less than thrilled about the plan and its chances of success. That was when Piper stood up. "Jason is right. We've all been hurt by these guys. I think it's time we hurt them back."

While Bianca still looked less than confident, Leo at least seemed uplifted that two of his closest friends were gung-ho about the operation, and that was all that Jason could ask for.

Now for the most stressful part; resting.

xxxXXXxxx

"So, on a scale of one to ten, how ready are we for this?" Leo asked on the second day of travel. "In your opinion?"

"…Probably like a four," Jason admitted.

"Wow, confident. Honestly, I expected it to be lower."

"Okay, what about your opinion?"

"Well, _I'm_ ready for anything, but as for you all…"

"Yeah, very funny. Remind me again who it was that got you into shape for this whole trip in the first place?" the son of Jupiter reminded him, causing the younger boy to flinch.

"Ouch, thanks for reminding me how much of a runt I was."

"You're welcome."

"…I can't tell if you're joking. Are you joking?" Leo questioned.

"I learned my technique from you," Jason claimed, causing both of them to chuckle. "Hey, so…when all of this is over…I'm going back to Camp Jupiter."

"Yeah, I figured."

"And…and I don't know how long it'll be before the camps are stable enough to visit, so…"

"Probably a while."

Jason sighed. "I guess, just…assuming we both survive this…I'm gonna miss you, is all. Just figured you should know that, with the, you know, giant lightning and fiery barrier between us lately."

"Yeah…you _have_ been a prick," Leo said. "But I'd be damned if I wasn't gonna miss you too."

"Leo, just think…half a year ago, you were a normal kid. It's crazy how time flies, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it feels like we've been on this quest for like three years…a lot has happened; enough for that amount of time, anyway."

"Agreed…" Jason said. The two looked out into the clouds. "Honestly, I've got no plan. My mind is so narrow and focused on beating Pride, I just…I've got no idea what in the gods' name I'm going to do when we get home."

"Well…easy transport between camps might be a good start," Leo suggested. "Might foster a bit of friendship if it didn't take a week to travel to one or the other."

"Hmph, not a bad idea…for an imp."

"Why I oughta…"

"You're right, you're right," Jason chuckled. "You're more like a…Salamander, or a Dragon, or…you know, something ferocious."

"Eh…" Leo trailed off. "How about I stick to being a mechanic?"

"Heh, fair enough. Hey, I gotta ask; do you regret being brought to camp? Do you regret going on this quest?"

Leo thought about the question for longer than Jason was expecting. Jason was pretty much expecting a "hell no!" before he swiftly moved on. Instead, he was given a serious answer.

"I mean, if I had the choice, I wouldn't do this a second time; that's for sure…" Leo's voice sunk low, his eyes becoming distant. "…Maybe it would've been enough if I could've convinced Grover to stay with his girlfriend, back at camp…"

"…I wish I'd gotten to know him better," Jason said. "He was a good man, or satyr. He deserved the world."

"Heh, yeah…"

"Leo…I wouldn't judge you if you went berserk when you saw Envy. But please…Percy and Annabeth are more important. You know that, right?"

"Well…I'll agree on Annabeth," Leo said, and it didn't sound like a quip. "Percy can be sent right the hell back to Tartarus for all I care…"

"Leo…"

The boy bit his lip, clearly wanting to say something. With a bit more time, Leo spoke about everything. "You know that Percy was his best friend when he first came to camp, like five years ago?" the son of Hephaestus asked. Jason shook his head. As Leo continued, his flames began to simmer involuntarily, due to his anger. "And, you know, time goes on and whatnot. Grover got left behind, to the point where Percy didn't even care about him anymore. He didn't even bat an eye when Grover was trapped in the Labyrinth. And he didn't care when Grover _died_ either."

"Leo, you can't know that," Jason tried to ease him down. "Listen to me; if you've got a score to settle with Percy, save it for after the war, you hear?"

Leo nodded, though it took a while for his flames to die down completely. "Yeah, I hear," he growled. The boy took a deep breath. "...It's not fair…"

"What isn't?"

"That that bastard is praised as a hero," Leo replied.

"Yeah well…I don't think he thinks that anymore," Jason said quietly, noting his defeated look during their battle with Lust. "…He's not the same, after Tartarus. Who would be, though?"

"…"

"I just…I just hope he's not broken, like I was…"

"As much as I don't want to admit it…I think he'll be fine," Leo said. Jason looked to him to elaborate. "When I was flying, I saw him and Annabeth napping on the deck, and…and he looked fine…he looked almost content…gods, it makes me so mad. He shouldn't _get_ to feel that way, after everyone and everything he's abandoned or betrayed."

Jason decided to avoid the sketchy topic about whether or not Percy really didn't deserve that peace. "Yeah well, I'm pretty sure he's only like that around her and asleep…she's all he really cares about anymore, I think…Annabeth and his daughter."

"What does it matter?"

"It really doesn't, but…I don't know. Sometimes I wish I could just get inside his head and figure out what it is in Jupiter's name that he wants. I mean, you're easy enough to figure out. You want revenge, Bianca wants to help Percy, etc. But him…he's an anomaly."

"Yeah well, I just let you handle all of the 'hero' stuff. Makes more time for me," Leo said, and then thought about it for a minute. "…Long shot; maybe he wants the same?"

"Pardon?"

"What if he wants you to take over as the hero so he can focus on protecting Annabeth and raise his kid?"

Jason's jaw went wide open. "Leo…you're a genius."

"Yeah, yeah…don't go spoiling me or anything," he returned. The two were quiet again. Finally, it became too much for Leo, and he began the conversation anew, with a different topic. "I've always been jealous of you, you know," the boy said. Jason looked over, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Why?"

"Well, because you're Mr. Perfect."

"…Is that what you think?"

"That's what _everyone_ thinks. I'm betting that's what everyone thinks at your camp too," Leo claimed. "I tell ya, it's really annoying when you do everything right and do no wrong and crap like that."

"Well, I'll try and screw up more often, then," Jason said.

"Then again…you screwing up in Rome…jeez, that was a pain to deal with. I had to pick up the slack, so it all worked out fine."

"Oh, is that what we're calling it?"

"Hey, I did an alright job."

"You were super irritable and rude to everyone, but yeah, I guess you got us where we needed to go," Jason returned, causing Leo to pout. "And if that really is what you all think of me…then I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you guys feel inadequate."

"Kinda hard when you can shoot lightning out of your fingertips and all I can do is make a campfire…"

"Palms, actually. And Leo, you _do_ know that I can't do even half of what you can, right? I can't fix this ship and I definitely couldn't envision and build it. I can't build anything, really. My head doesn't work like yours, and situations arise when both mindsets are needed, not just mine. And you're funny, you're strong-willed enough to whip your body into shape and build this gargantuan airship at the same time, and you still want to be a hero on top of that. Dude, your ambition is way more than anything I could think up."

Leo stared at Jason for a moment, sizing up whether he was bullshitting any of that or not. In his assessment, the son of Jupiter was being genuine. "Gods, you're so perfect it's sickening!" he exclaimed.

"What do you mean?"

"Just…be meaner sometimes. Be a dick, and screw up more often. You're making the rest of us look bad in comparison, and, mind you, it's _only_ in comparison."

"Gods, but you're confusing sometimes. Tell you what, when this war is over, then I'll start screwing up more. Deal?"

"I'm gonna hold you to that, Superman," Leo said. "It's getting late."

Jason looked out to the sky; he hadn't noticed the sunset at all. "Oh jeez, you're right…tell you what; I'll take the night, and wake you up to take over in the morning. I'll sleep before we arrive. Sound good?"

"A good a plan as any," Leo said, before relinquishing the controls to Jason. Just in case, Leo flipped on the autopilot; Jason's input would be necessary only in emergencies. Then, the son of Hephaestus took his leave.

Jason was alone out there for a good few hours before he noticed that he actually wasn't. One look up to the bird's nest, and he could see shadows pouring out of it like an overflowing cup of water. "Bianca?" Jason called her name, causing the shadows to recede. She didn't respond. "Bianca, I know you're up there."

"No, I'm not!" she called back childishly.

"You need sleep too, especially for what we're going to be doing."

The way the conversation began was so surreal, in hindsight. Here they were, two of the most powerful demigods to have ever lived, and Jason was scolding Bianca like an older brother or babysitter (despite him being _younger_ than her, both in her biological age and her actual age) for not sleeping enough. Gods, but it was odd how things turned out.

It took a few more calls to her, but eventually, Bianca climbed down to meet him. He looked down to her, as she was on the lower part of the deck. "You need to sleep," he chided. "You're exhausted."

It was fairly easy to tell; she looked paler than usual, and it wasn't the moonlight doing it. Not only that, but she had a slump to her posture, which wasn't normal. Despite the obvious signs, Bianca denied it, and added, "What are you, my dad?"

"Bianca, please, don't argue with me."

"Well, I don't want to sleep right now," she said. Jason sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get through to her; he was never going to master that particular skill, omnibus or no.

"Fine, but if we die because you're tired, I'll haunt your eternal soul forever."

"I think Pride will destroy our souls," she said it as if she said he was going to get a sub from Wawa. Another sigh came from the son of Jupiter. "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to or understand."

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you," Jason returned. He checked the controls one last time before going to the stairs and sitting down, before offering her to sit next to him. Somewhat reluctantly, she obliged. "You don't like me very much, do you?"

"Can't say I hate you, but you fought with Percy, so…"

"You can't possibly be that much of a sycophant, can you?"

"What's that?"

"It's…never mind."

"Hey, I mean…you just want us to do what you tell us, right? I'm doing that, so what's the problem?"

"You say, immediately after you refuse to rest when I tell you."

"I meant in battle."

"Right…and yes, that's all I can really demand from you, and I'm glad that you didn't question that, at least not out loud. But if possible, I'd like to get along."

"…I don't need you to be my friend."

"And what's your aversion to the idea, exactly?" Jason questioned. "Who've you got, really?"

"Percy and Win; they're all I need," Bianca claimed. Jason raised an eyebrow, not that she could see it, but didn't respond otherwise. "…It's a lot easier to deal with this life when you don't have many friends who can die."

"Gods, don't I agree with that," Jason said, recalling the loss of Tempus, and the loss of Luke, and of Grover. "But our lives aren't supposed to be easy."

"And who says they shouldn't be?"

"The Fates," Jason answered. "…And your life isn't easy anyway. You want to know how I know that?"

"How?" her tone said that she was skeptical.

"Because if you've developed that mindset, then that probably means you've lost someone close to you already."

The words hit Bianca like a truck, but, in her usual manner, she showed almost none of it. Instead, she drew her sword. It was the first time Jason got a good look at it when it wasn't being deftly handled to battle hordes of monsters and undead.

"This is Stygian Iron," she explained. "It's a special material, stronger than Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold, but also much more fickle. It's cast from a soul, it's shape solidified and its thirst quenched in the River Styx. It has the ability to drain the soul from whomever it touches, and only children of Hades and Pluto can use it."

"Sounds…dark."

"You want to know whose soul I used to make this? It was my brother's. He died protecting me, and I…I went off the deep end after that…it wasn't until Percy came back for me, cared for me, that I managed to claw my way from the depths of madness. Even now, I feel its pull. Even now, that darker side of me lurks right beneath the surface. I…I asked my brother to stay with me…and he became this sword. I…I didn't want to be alone again…"

"Bianca, I…I had no idea. I'm so sorry."

She shrugged. "Don't be," she said. "But you're right…my life isn't easy, despite my best efforts, heh," her smile was forced. "I wish you weren't a part of the quest, Jason. If you weren't, I'd be able to tell when you'd die."

"O-oh…how?" he asked, though it was a stupid question; daughter of Hades and all that. "Never mind."

"And if you died in like sixty years, _then_ I could be friends with you. But, in all likelihood, you're going to perish tomorrow."

"I know. And I'm prepared for that," he said.

"Everyone thinks they are. But when you're lying there, bleeding out, unable to move, staring up at the heavens and wondering why no one comes to help you…you will _never_ be prepared for that," she said, her voice sending a chill down Jason's spine. The two were quieter after that; Bianca made it pretty clear with that statement that the conversation was over. She even stood to leave, before Jason began speaking again.

"…I think I've figured it out," Jason announced.

"Figured what out?"

"You," Jason stood along with her. "You're a lot like Percy, actually. You surround yourself with people you want to protect, and even more people beyond that, but keep them all at arm's length because you can't stand the pain of losing them. You put up whatever façade seems appropriate at the time and pretend that nothing fazes you, that you don't really care about anything or anyone, but deep down…I think you do, about everything and everyone."

"…"

"Am I wrong? That's-" Bianca whirled around, shadows pouring out of her and poised to strike. Jason hesitated for the briefest of moment before finishing his statement. "That's why you're still here, fighting to keep everyone safe back home."

"No, it's not," Bianca said, her voice low, ready to explode at any minute. "I'm here because Percy needs my help."

At that, Jason couldn't help but chuckle. "You went to Camp Jupiter, right?"

"…Not for very long…a few days…"

"You remember the lanky blond kid, the one who was always around Reyna?" he asked. She nodded, unsure of where he was going. "He was her retainer, Octavian Brookes. He did whatever she said without question, and the two are so close that it almost makes me jealous. But you know what? He didn't just get up each day to serve our praetor. No, he had…ambition. He wanted that position too, and he worked every minute he had to step closer to that goal. I know it took everything I had to keep up with that ambition…so let me tell you this, Bianca;you may be able to pull that aloof act with the Greeks, but not me. I know that you have a life and feelings and desires outside of being Percy's retainer. And I know there's at least one person back at Camp Half-Blood who cares about you as much as I know you care about her."

"…" instead of answering, Bianca simply turned around and walked away.

The doors to the personal quarters opened as she drew near, and she pushed past Piper on her way inside. The daughter of Aphrodite looked after her for a moment, before beginning to chuckle, joining Jason at the helm. "Smooth," she said. "I came to check on you, before I put in for the night."

"Thanks," he said. "Gods, but why are all children of the Big Three so thick-headed?"

"Maybe because you all think you're right all of the time," she offered, leaning against the railing, wrapping a blanket she'd brought with her tightly around herself, burying her face in her scarf. "And you'd better not be excluding yourself from that assessment."

"Tch, how could I? I'm the guy who ignored one of his best friends and all of her troubles and left her to deal with them all on her own."

Piper frowned beneath the scarf. "…I wasn't alone," she claimed.

"Hm?"

"I said I wasn't alone," she repeated. "Luke was there to help."

"Oh yeah, with your Charmspeak, but I meant-"

"I know what you meant," she interrupted.

"…He knew about your dad?"

"…It was in Dalmatia. We met Cupid; he made me say it out loud, in exchange for information," she explained. "After that, we…" she struggled to find the right words. "Fell in love" didn't explain it, nor did they "grow closer," though they did. That didn't encompass what happened. "We became friends-with-benefits."

Jason nearly choked on his own saliva upon hearing that. After gagging, he shot her an incredulous look. "What?!" he yelled.

"What? It's not that big of a deal," Piper returned. In her head, she praised herself for not tripping up with her Charmspeak so far.

"B-but he…he was…he was basically a Titan. Are you…" he couldn't even ask if she was pregnant; wouldn't _that_ be fun to deal with?

"No," she said succinctly. "Look, if it bothers you, I can say we became soul mates or something."

"That's _definitely_ not what a soul mate is," Jason claimed.

"Anyway, point is; I had someone to look after me while you were off pouting."

Jason avoided her gaze; it was demanding, expectant. "I wasn't pouting…" he grumbled. He quickly regained himself, and added, "I still should've been the one to be there for you. It shouldn't have been left to him in the first place. I'm sorry."

She giggled. "You don't have to apologize anymore. I'm better. I'm actually more worried about you. Are you sure about what we're doing?" she asked, before quickly continuing. "Maybe we should just head back to camp and fortify there, because if we fail here, then they'll be mostly defenseless."

"Then we'd better not fail," was all he said on the matter.

"…" Piper took a deep breath. "…Do you really think I can play my part? Do you think I can control Gaia?"

"No, I don't," he said automatically. Piper avoided his gaze as he glared.

"Piper…" he began, though didn't know what to say. Those three words were unwillingly truthful, and he couldn't hide behind bravado, especially from her. She would've probably been able to see through it anyway.

"…I don't either," she chuckled. It faded out quickly. "Gods, things were so much easier when all I had to worry about was trying to get you to like me…"

"Yeah…"

"…Do you think…in some other world, we could've been together? Maybe if you and Reyna were never…a thing?" she felt heat rush to her cheeks; a bittersweet feeling in the face of the biting chill of the night. "If you think so…then that'll be enough for me."

"I think…I think that you're one of the most amazing people I know or ever will know. So yes, of course I think we could've. It just…wasn't in the cards in this world, is all," he answered as truthfully as he could. "And Piper…whether or not we believe that you can control Gaia…we both know that you'll have to try, if it comes to that. Whether or not we _think_ we can do something, and whether or not we _can_ do something, both vary from moment to moment. So all we can do…no, all I can do is plan for what I do know."

Piper nodded. "Pride says he can control her, so you think I can too," she translated.

"Exactly," he said, staring forward. Then he thought about what he'd said. "Well jeez, that's not very inspiring, is it?" he said to himself.

"No, it's not, but it'll have to do," Piper agreed, forcing herself from the railing and beginning to make her way back into the personal quarters. "Oh, and Jason? You remember our word, right?"

"Velaira," he answered. She smiled.

"Remember it. It'll give you strength, my strength; whatever I can offer."

He nodded. "And to you too. Have a good night, Piper."

"Good night," she returned, before leaving for bed.

xxxXXXxxx

A dark place…

The tears poured near constant from Envy's eyes for two and a half days straight. That was how long it took for her to drain the necessary amount of energy from the Titan Slayer and his lover. That was how long it took to drain them of power cultivated from their unmatched guilt, despair, and rage. Each of them were tortured individuals, barely functional at all.

Envy caught glimpses of their pasts, of their hardships, though even she couldn't fully comprehend what kept their feet moving in the sea of anguish that made up their lives. Perhaps it was a hidden caveat to her powers, but Envy didn't feel a shred of joy or relief from either of them, which made her wonder if they had felt any themselves.

The only stimulus that might have matched Envy's borrowed pain was their screams. Energy extraction was a long and painful process, at least when done unwillingly with the Frankenstein of abilities that made up Envy's powers. If one had to describe it, it was the sensations of feeling your skin boil, having a thousand planets piled on top of you, having the air spontaneously combust in your lungs, and having the mother of all migraines. And that was just the physical trial; the mental attacks were perhaps worse. Disorientation would be the least of their worries. If they ever did wake up again, they likely would be unable to process visual stimuli for the rest of their lives; whether that meant they'd be blind or if they'd simply interpret it incorrectly, Envy didn't know. The same went for their other senses. They would also likely have amnesia, unrecoverable unlike the induced amnesia that the daughter of Athena got from the gods, and they'd likely lack the motor functions to move at all.

Of course, Envy figured all of this, only to have the Titan Slayer recover with no lasting effects at all. But that's getting ahead.

Envy didn't dare disobey her God after he'd caught her. She was his creation, eternally loyal. She had failed three times in the missions he has sent her on, but not a fourth. This time, she did exactly as she was told; she drained the specific amount of energy needed, placing it into a container of Pride's creation, where it took the form of aether. She had done her job; she was done. She had also doomed the world single-handedly.

Envy was left behind then, Pride didn't give her instructions, didn't say where to go until he needed her again, because he wouldn't need her again. As far as Pride was concerned, she was dead, thrown away, and forgotten. It was surprising that he didn't just kill her, but perhaps he was simply preoccupied with the Feast.

Envy was left with the two drained demigods, completely helpless to her whims. She did nothing to them; she could do no more and nothing she could have done would bring her any pleasure. All she could do was bide her time until Pride used Gaia to destroy the world, as he pleased, or rather if he pleased.

That was when the Titan Slayer stirred. At first, it was so small a movement that Envy thought she imagined it, but just in case, she morphed into his form. It took him nearly two hours to focus in on her. When he did, he blinked several times, confused. He likely didn't remember her, or what'd happened, or even who he was.

"…Envy," he said finally, voice run raw from his yells throughout the past two days. Its sound was somewhere between coughing up a hairball and a hoarse whisper; it sounded like his insides were cut to ribbons. The Giant wasn't sure how it was possible that he remembered. "You're…Envy…"

" _Should I respond? What would it accomplish?"_ Envy thought, blankly staring back at the demigod who didn't dare look away for fear of losing focus. " _Then again…what would it hurt?"_ she concluded. "Yes."

"Where…are we?"

"Underneath Mt. Olympus," she answered.

"We…we lost…didn't we?"

"Yes."

The son of Poseidon didn't look particularly broken up about it. Instead, he seemed more worried when he looked over to his partner. "A-Annabeth!" he made a move to get over to her, only to collapse onto the ground. It took him a few minutes to recover. "She…she can't be…she's not…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

"She's not dead," Envy said. It was easy to mistake that she was. For all intents and purposes, she was, but given ambrosia and time, she might wake up.

"She…she's not moving…she's not breathing…"

"Yes, she is," Envy said. "But that doesn't matter. My God will destroy this place with Gaia's resurrection, killing us all. Either that, or he'll come do it himself."

Envy wasn't sure how she expected him to react. She might've expected him to cry, knowing that he'd failed, and that after everything, he'd finally perish. Instead, he showed nothing. If anything, he seemed almost at peace. What surprised her the most, however, was that he still had the mental capacity to interrogate her, as he proceeded to ask all sorts of questions, which she answered truthfully. She might've been able to accept that his love for Annabeth pushed his brain to function to care for her, but that he was doing this sort of thing proved that he was _much_ stronger than either Envy or Pride assumed.

"…You're a Giant," he said, to which Envy nodded. "What…what can you do?"

"Take the form of anyone I've seen, mortal or immortal. Secondarily, I can transfer power from one person to another through touch," she said, leaving out the abilities she retained from her time as a demigod.

"So…you can give away your own power?"

"Of course I can."

"Can…can you heal Annabeth?" he asked, causing Envy to stir.

"…We'll all be dead soon anyway," she said, not seeing the point in doing so.

"I just…" this was when a few tears fell from his eyes. "I need to see her again…see her _alive_ again…"

Envy wasn't sure whether it was because she was moved or if she simply didn't care enough to argue, but eventually, the Giant moved over to the nearly comatose daughter of Athena, and placed her hand on the girl's head. Envy felt a stinging sensation throughout her body, as she drained her own energy to implant within Annabeth. It should take roughly until Pride goes through with the Feast for her to finish and for Annabeth to wake.

"Thank you," Percy said, bowing his head respectfully. Some part of Envy wanted to chide him not to bow to his enemy, but she buried that part of her with little effort. "When…when will Pride summon Gaia?"

"Within the next half of a day," she answered. "And then we're dead."

"So I've heard," he returned. Another surprise; he was still able enough to quip. Wonderful, she'd have to deal with _that_ for the next few hours until their deaths. Actually, Envy had noticed that the Titan Slayer was slowly gaining more motor functions and sense, even being able to sit up and lean against the nearby wall, eyes flitting occasionally to look at their surroundings.

"How are you conscious?" Envy asked. "You should be in a similar state to your lover, but you aren't."

Percy shrugged, though it was slight due to his condition. "This is easily the _second_ worst offender of me feeling helpless in the belly of the whale."

"What was the first?" Envy found herself asking, not quite sure why she did. She tried convincing herself that she didn't care, but she couldn't keep her curiosity down. After sharing their pain, she was immensely curious as to what they'd gone through to feel that way.

"A few years ago, when I first 'fought' Atlas. It was more of a massacre," he said.

"…"

"…You don't seem like the other Giants I've met," Percy said after a long bout of silence. "You seem more…human. You're one of the artificial Giants, aren't you?"

"I am."

"If you don't mind…could you show me your true form?" he requested. Envy didn't respond. At first, she didn't even consider doing that, but the more she thought about it, the more she didn't really care. That girl that she was…that girl was truly dead. Finally, her form morphed back to its natural form, and Envy felt a hole form in her mouth, a lack of sensation. "Oh…" Percy seemed to recognize her, though Envy didn't know how. The Giant shrugged, gaze staying squarely on Annabeth. Had she not been tortured into loyalty, she might've felt a connection with the girl. She was who'd inherited her notebook, who'd finally completed the Trials of the Parthenos. But now…now, Envy had no right to feel anything toward anyone. Not after what she'd done. "…You deserved a better afterlife than this."

The words seemed so mundane, so simple. Envy's pale gray eyes, looking almost as if she were blind, moved to look at Percy, who held no animosity toward her. She even felt a tug in her chest, the sensation of it being harder to breathe, and her eyes began to get misty.

"You…you don't really remember having people care about you, do you?" Percy asked. Envy shook her head. "…Then we're similar…almost…" his own eyes moved to Annabeth. That's right…he had her, always. Envy had no one. "…Say something," he begged, her silence killing him. She shook her head, and opened her mouth.

Percy had to look hard for what he was supposed to see. Then he realized; he was supposed to _not_ see. Envy's true form lacked a tongue; thus, she couldn't speak using her own, natural voice. From Jason's stories about Tempus, perhaps that was the greatest cruelty inflicted on her; her voice was her strongest asset in her first life, and it was swiftly taken in her second. Her words held inherently less sway when spoken by another mouth, as when she morphed back into Percy to continue the conversation.

The son of Poseidon wanted to ask why she didn't assume her natural form but make a fake tongue, but figured there was some stipulation that she was compelled to follow, or maybe she simply couldn't due to the limitations of her powers.

"It isn't unheard of for people to switch sides, you know," Percy said, trying to sound casual about it. If he'd learned anything by trying to change Ethan back at camp, it was that forcing the issue never worked. "You could join us, help us, and go back to your old life."

"You misunderstand," Envy said. "That girl, Tempus, is dead. I am Envy."

"…"

"And even if I did help you, it doesn't matter. Pride will-"

"Summon Gaia and kill us all," Percy interrupted. He'd heard it enough. The two were quiet, and the room seemed to get a lot smaller to the Titan Slayer. The quiet created this void, making it difficult to breathe, especially as his thoughts narrowed into imagining the horrible way that he would die, that Annabeth would die. The fact that he'd be leaving behind a beautiful little girl to grow up without parents; an even worse fate than even Percy or Annabeth or most other demigods had.

"You look ill," Envy said finally, briefly shaking the man out of his trance.

"Yeah, I just…I just…I'm in the room again…" he said vaguely. Envy didn't know what he was referring to, but could tell that it was bad. Still, she could do nothing for him. All he could do was wait for his other self. Except…he didn't think that other self-existed anymore. He'd made his choice in Tartarus; he was going to be Annabeth's hero. Gods, look where that landed him. If he had stuck to his guns and stayed with her…no…then Jason would've died and he'd be stuck doing double duty all over again.

Jason…

Percy's thoughts roamed to the son of Jupiter. He wondered where he was, what he was doing. He hoped he was going back to the camps and preparing for the worst, protecting them. The kid had grown so much while Percy had fallen so low…it was almost unfair. Still, he was strong, strong enough to do almost anything, Percy thought. Then again, he thought that of himself once.

Percy felt something warm fall from his cheeks; tears. He lacked the care to reach up and brush them away, instead simply letting them fall. It was a combination of things; his inevitable doom, his leaving behind his daughter as an orphan, built up guilt from all of his failures…most of all, though…gods…

He wanted to make it up to Jason.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, small admission; when I first wrote this chapter, I didn't like it all that much. But proofreading it here has swayed my opinion considerably.**

 **Maybe it's because I'm writing where these different threads ends up right now, but the back and forth between the characters, especially Jason's three conversations (of which I surprisingly like all of them, when normally I'm indifferent to at least one) is really entertaining, as we see how far Jason has come as a person. Plus, it's like the first real conversation between Jason and Leo since like chapter 20.**

 **In any case, I don't have much to say about this chapter. I will say that chapter 70 is fucking huge, for me personally. It's just this massive moment that I've had in my head since...basically since I was writing the Titan's Curse. While it may not be the heaviest emotional, from a hype-perspective and from a writer's perspective, it's glorious imo**

 **So, there's that to get you guys excited.**


	69. Let Me Show You

Never before had it been so hard to breathe. Jason had never struggled for air before, even when in high altitudes, but now…gods, he felt so light-headed. It was all stress, all anxiety. Here they were, about to challenge one of the strongest beings in the world…and what were they, really? Four demigods, sure, but that's like four teenagers going up against Muhammed Ali. It's not even close to a fair fight.

Jason closed his eyes. " _It doesn't have to be a fight. We just need to distract him and get out of here,"_ he reminded himself, though in his heart of hearts he knew it would end up in a battle. It always did. He looked around, seeing that the others were similarly tense.

It wasn't difficult at all to figure out where Pride was. It was a massive build-up of energy, seen in the form of a swirling mass of greenish-brownish light amassing just past the other side of the mountain range. As Leo brought the Argo over it, what they saw shocked them, even considering the circumstances.

None of them had been to Mt. Olympus before, obviously. They'd expected a few mountain villages/rest stops for climbers and hikers. They expected a lot of peaks and thus a lot of snow. What they didn't expect was that half of the mountain range had imploded into itself, sinking down to create a gigantic valley of cracked, charred earth where the energy was being focused, appearing almost as if it had sunk into itself like quicksand, or, on a slightly more humorous note, like a toilet flush.

The sunken valley left a new cliff face, where Jason saw several indentations and tunnels leading further into the mountain, appearing so often and numerous that Jason had to call it excessive. One was bigger than all of the rest, and even had a glass (or something resembling glass) bubble protruding from it, as a kind of observing platform. He pointed to the holes. "That must lead into their base," he figured.

"Jeez, it looks like the entrance to a giant ant colony…" Leo grimaced."

"Makes sense," Piper said. "The bastard's been hiding away for millennia, biding his time and building his resources."

"I just hope there's not a queen…" Bianca muttered.

Jason looked down to the sunken valley, where Pride and his mass of swirling energy were located. In his head, the son of Jupiter was trying to work out when and how he would do this, whether he'd circle around or simply dive.

"We need to hurry," Jason said, taking the helm from Leo. "Is everybody ready?"

"Not even a little bit, but it's now or never," Bianca claimed, removing her blindfold. Jason nodded.

"Okay, Leo, on the count of three, I'm sending you to the highest entrance, alright?"

"You got it."

"Okay; one, two…thr-"

Jason couldn't finish, as the Argo lurched and flames erupted from the side of the hull, having hit it and then blasted up as a ricochet. "What the hell…?" Piper ran over to the edge to see what happened, only to have to jump out of the way as a fireball whizzed right past where her face was just a second before.

"Leo, what are you doing?!" Jason demanded, figuring it was his fire that was doing this.

"It's not me!" the boy yelled back, rushing forward and propelling himself into the air, past an arc of flame which would've shot him into the distance. The son of Hepheastus grit his teeth. "It's that bastard who copied my powers!" he exclaimed.

"Leo, Leo! Hey, don't lose your head!" Jason called, seeing that the boy looked raring to go to war with this Giant. "Bianca, block what you can; if those shots get through the hull we're all going up in flames!"

"On it!" she said, pouring out shadows and creating a kind of dark barrier on the lower part of the ship. Thankfully, she appeared to be powerful enough to ward off the shots, and Leo was drawing quite a few of them away, though every time he attempted to get close to one of the entrances, he was cut off and blasted away. Jason steered the Argo closer to the side of the cliff, facing heavy resistance from 'that bastard' who kept shooting the bottom of it.

At first, Jason thought they might make it. Leo was back on the deck, gearing up to dive into one of the holes, and Bianca, while struggling, was keeping up their barrier consistently. This was when things started to go wrong. With the next fire blast, which at first appeared to miss entirely, a figure appeared, having been shot up by the fire.

He landed and immediately went to attack Bianca, knocking her into one of the masts and shattering her barrier of darkness. The man, who was clearly a Giant, made a move to swiftly end Bianca's life, but this was when Leo charged into him, blasting him into the railing, though not through it and off the ship. Bianca drew her sword and summoned her shadows.

"No, wait!" Leo called. "He'll absorb them!"

Yelling that might've done more harm than good, as Greed dashed toward Bianca and quickly broke through her mustered defense, socking her in the gut, ensuring that she'd be down for at least a moment, allowing the other Greed to continue pelting the Argo II with fireballs.

The plan was falling apart fast. Leo looked ready to engage Greed. "Leo, stop! We _need_ to get you inside!" Jason yelled, stopping the boy. "Piper, nail him!"

As Greed was focused on the daughter of Hades, Piper attacked, drawing New Side and Echo, her gun (which I'm sure you forgot about), and got into a furious exchange, struggling to keep up with the Giant, even as she caught him off-guard. Still, despite her disadvantage, she kept Greed occupied long enough for Bianca to recover, even managing to hit the Giant with at least three shots, two in the stomach and one in the arm. Unfortunately, this only seemed to annoy him.

Thankfully, this was when Bianca joined the fray, now prepared for close-quarters combat. Together, Piper and Bianca slowly pushed back against Greed (with Bianca careful not to use her powers), before the daughter of Hades extended her sword into its whip form and cracked it as hard as she could, sending Greed flying off.

Meanwhile, Leo was in a kind of dogfight, trying his damnedest to keep the other Greed's focus on him and not the Argo, which was drawing ever closer, almost to the point where Jason could comfortably launch Leo off the deck and have him land in one of the holes. This was when Greed got sick of their games.

The one wielding the fire shot up and onto the deck of the ship, immediately blasting away Bianca and Piper, both off of the deck. Bianca acted fast, shooting up a tether of shadows which latched onto the railing, and swung under and around, catching Piper on her way past.

Meanwhile, Greed shot forward, toward Jason, and let loose a massive wave of flames. Jason reared a hand back and then thrust forward with all of his might, summoning a gale strong enough to divert the blast slightly. The fire crashed against his wind and then brushed past it, whizzing past the son of Jupiter; the flames were so close and so intense that Jason feared he'd catch on fire.

Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, Leo appeared behind the Giant and shot him away with his own fire, knocking him off entirely. This was when Bianca and Piper landed back onto the deck. "Jason, we need to hurry!" Leo called, seeing that they'd drawn close enough to the wall to conceivably make the jump. "Go, go!" Leo ran to the edge of the Argo. Jason wrenched his hand up and shot his friend up into the air.

"Incoming!" Piper yelled, right as the ship lurched. Leo was already in the air, and shooting through it at an unreal speed, but it seemed Greed was prepared, shooting up a blast right at the son of Hephaestus. Not only that, but Jason hadn't put enough oomph into his launch, and Leo was going to miss his mark by a good margin. Jason lit up his lightning and, and created a projection of himself, which shot into the path of the fire blast. The projection exploded into a burst of lightning, nullifying the blast and actually provided just enough of a boost for Leo to make it to his destination. The boy wasted no time in dashing inside, mostly to avoid getting shot at more. Once he was in, Greed seemed stop paying attention to him.

With Leo successfully inside their base, all that was left was to interrupt the Feast. This is when things went wrong…again.

The ship nearly went completely upside-down from a massive release of energy coming from the sunken crater. The next thing they know, a wave of warmth washed over them, seemingly increasing the temperature by about thirty degrees Fahrenheit in an instant. When they looked, they saw that this was because the Feast was now partially completed.

The vague shape of a humanoid began growing from the ground. "Uh, guys…Gaia is waking up!" Bianca yelled. Jason flipped a few switches.

"We're going into overdrive; Bianca, keep Greed off of us! I'll give you a boost!" he called, and with that, launched her off the side toward the Giant, who had merged back into one entity. "Piper, when we get close, we're jumping. Got it?"

"Got it. Hurry!"

Jason made the Argo pick up as much speed as it could, as he saw Pride at the bottom of the sunken crater, right where Jason could see Gaia's head forming, right in the center of a mass of what looked like the Greek fire candles, as another mass of energy formed; he was likely trying to take control of her mind at this point. Jason made the Argo lurch forward into a dive. "Get ready!" he called over the wind, with Piper already latched onto him for their jump. They began to near the bottom, and Jason was about to jump off, when suddenly, Pride turned to look at them.

Along with that turn, much faster than Jason was prepared for him to act, Pride released a focused stream of a multitude of elements, including wind, water, fire, and shadows, piercing right through the hull and immediately igniting the explosives that Leo had armed beforehand. The explosion went off, sending both Jason and Piper careening away, landing hard. Jason did his best to take the brunt of the impact, but that only made his vision spiral.

Perhaps it was foolish to assume that Pride couldn't or wouldn't do something like that. In hindsight, Jason and Leo likely could've come up with something better, but in the situation, time constraints, and injured states…this was the best they could muster, or so they thought. Now, they were paying for their inability.

Jason had blacked out briefly, and woke up to flames, the smoke choking him. She heard someone calling his name at one point, but it was swiftly silenced. The son of Jupiter rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up to his knees, looking around. At first, he couldn't see straight, but as he recovered more, he began to focus.

The Argo's debris completely missed Pride, likely of his own doing. The Giant himself was hard at work in trying to control Gaia's mind, as she slowly continued waking. Piper was still unconscious next to him. Bianca had been blasted into the wall. Blood ran down her face; she must've hit her head and been knocked out as well.

"No, your assistance is no longer required," Jason heard, seeing Pride conversing with Greed. "Leave; prepare for the end times."

"What about the one that got inside?"

"A trivial matter," Pride said. "Once mother has been swayed to our side, _nothing_ will be able to stand in our way."

Greed seemed apprehensive about leaving, but obeyed, fearful of what'd happen should he disobey. Truthfully, he wanted to at least stay until the daughter of Hades used her powers on him, but it seemed that that wasn't meant to be today. With that thought, he teleported away.

Jason stood, struggling to do so. Pride was aware of his presence, though didn't seem to care. Instead, he had an almost excited look in his eye; all of his centuries of waiting was finally about to pay off…but Jason couldn't accept that.

Jason reared back a fist and shot it forward, letting off a gust of wind. Pride dispelled it without even moving a muscle. "Don't bother, Aduro," the Giant advised, turning to face hi, energy still swirling around him. "Should you annoy me, I won't give you a swift end."

"You…I have to…stop you…" Jason coughed up some blood.

"You cannot oppose destiny, Aduro. I am here because the Fates have willed it so; you cannot change that."

Jason growled, taking a step forward, only to collapse onto one knee. "You're a monster…you're cruel, unjust…the Fates made you lose once, and they'll do it again! And this time, you'll be a dead man! I'll make sure of that myself!"

Pride grinned. "You have no idea how many _dead men_ are behind me," he said ominously. "Soon, you'll be added to that never-ending list."

"You're…you're wrong…"

"Face it, mortal; you've lost. For all of your effort, for all of your struggle and hardship, you've lost. It's nothing new; demigods have _always_ taken the brunt of failure in our world. Honestly, it's a miracle that you've all survived this long. But I'll rectify that as my first decree," the Giant vowed. "Perhaps if you hadn't wasted your time retrieving the two Greeks at the Necromanteion when we would've anyway, you could've gotten here soon enough to pose a threat. But as it is now, you just weren't, and never will be, fast enough to oppose me. If you wish, I'll allow you the chance to go back to your camp and say your goodbyes; your efforts have earned you that small kindness."

Jason stood once more. His breaths with ragged and labored, though he couldn't tell how much of that was from the smoke surrounding him. Taking several deep breaths, Jason turned away from Pride, summoned his wind, and started flying.

Pride looked after him as he flew up and away. "Huh…didn't think he'd take me up on that."

In the air, Jason's breathing was growing deeper, fuller, more empowering. With a growl as he tensed up his body, Jason shot off as fast as he could. He flew and flew, before adjusting his stance and curving, diving and gaining speed, stolen wind trailing behind him like a horizontal tornado. Jason shot back into the view of Pride.

"What?" he questioned, not expecting the God Slayer to come back. The Jason passed him, a bit of his stockpiled wind leaking and sending a torrent of wind down, forcing Pride to brace himself, though only a bit. "Tch, if you think you can out-speed me, then you've got another thing coming!"

" _Come on…faster, faster…!"_ Jason yelled in his head, picking up speed exponentially, until he created a sonic boom, right as he veered into a dive toward Pride. "I won't lose!" he yelled.

"You're _still_ too slow!" Pride held his hand out to blast Jason out of the sky and dash his hopes right there, but then, Jason disappeared entirely. Time stood still for the Giant, as he looked to the side, seeing Jason going past him, and just behind him was… "Zeus…" the name was like poison on the Giant's tongue.

The god turned to him and smirked, as if saying 'It was a big mistake to mess with my kid,' before time seemed to resume, and before Pride could even react, before _he_ could react, Jason's wind blasted past. Pride was shot right into the ground from its downward force, while its horizontal force crashed into the ritual site, or Gaia's head (or rather the head of the form she chose to wake up as). Even if it hadn't blasted the body about a mile down the way, it certainly woke Gaia up, to the point where any attempt at mind control would've been fruitless. As a final nail in the coffin, Pride couldn't realize any of this until the dust cleared.

When it did, Pride saw all of his centuries' hopes dashed away, in a literal instant. "W-what? No! That's…that's impossible!" the Giant's hands clenched into fists. "You will _pay_ for that!"

The Giant's promise was met with an equal amount of determination. Jason appeared in a flash of light, lightning arcing out of the sky and bolting into him in droves, adding to his power. His eyes glowed with a ferocity seen only by true heroes in the face of their ultimate adversary. "It's over, Pride!" the God Slayer exclaimed, voice echoing around them.

Pride gnashed his teeth together, body visibly shaking. "Not until you lie dead at my feet."

And with that, both fighters engaged in their battle.

xxxXXXxxx

Percy heard the sounds of battle, and more importantly felt it shake whatever compound they were in. "…Will it bother you?" Percy asked the Giant, still healing Annabeth beside him. The daughter of Athena looked well, all things considered. She was still injured, from the Trials and from Tartarus, but she didn't look dead. That was a plus in Percy's book.

Envy shook her head, having never turned from Percy's form. "My God has succeeded in the first part of the Feast," the Giant said. "Within moments, we'll perish."

Percy blinked. "I thought that was…" he trailed off; of _course_ it wasn't a battle. Who would have come? The others should've already been halfway home by now, preparing to defend themselves. "Right…"

"…"

"Will…will you be able to finish healing her, at least so she can wake up?"

"…"

"Please…please, say something…" Percy begged.

"…You're a pitiful excuse for a hero," she replied. Percy looked up at her, shocked. Truthfully, Envy was surprised herself; where had that remark come from? What part of her still held that sense of…snark? Was that the right word?

Percy might've commented on it, had he not still be caught up with worry about his girlfriend. He forced his way over to Annabeth and took her hand, wanting to feel her touch. If what Envy said was correct, then this would be his final moments with her.

Morbid as it may be, Percy had thought long and hard about how he would die. Since it could have happened at any moment, he thought it was fascinating to think about how it would play out. If he had the choice to pick, it'd be dying in a heroic sacrifice, or kind of jokingly, say if he accidentally cut himself training, got sick, and then died. He'd have found that funny, at least.

But this…this truly was pathetic. Broken, beaten, hopeless, he was here with barely the ability to stand, let alone fight and die heroically, grieving next to his comatose girlfriend, having doomed the world in failing to die earlier, all while leaving behind a few-week-old daughter. Brilliant.

But it seemed that death wasn't in the cards that day. Out of nowhere, the door to the room burst open, flooding in light from the hallway, and in burst…an imp.

Leo charged inside, eyes wild and alert, like he was planning on ducking in and out of the room should they have not been there. When he saw that they were, he tensed up, sucked in a breath, and held it. "You're…what the hell are you doing here?" Percy demanded. "Don't tell me…"

"…" Leo didn't answer the son of Poseidon. Instead, he exploded into flames, held his hand out, and shot a concentrated fireball right at Envy. He thought, in the moments leading up to this, that he'd have the self-control to complete his task. Now, though, with his target within reach, the mission had been wiped from his mind. HE was going to kill Envy.

"No!" in a rush of adrenaline, Percy shot out his own blast. It wasn't nearly powerful enough to dispel Leo's, but it knocked it off course enough to make it miss. "Stop, Leo, stop!"

His head snapped toward Percy. "What are you doing?!" he yelled. "That thing is the enemy!"

"No, stop; please listen!" Percy begged. "Envy is…Envy is healing Annabeth. If she's not healed, she could die."

Leo's mouth hung open as he'd said it. "But it…it…why…?"

"I had no reason to agree or disagree," Envy said, still in Percy's form. Leo's eyes locked onto the Giant, and seeing her hunched over Annabeth, almost as if…protecting her…

"You…you can't be…why the _hell_ would you trust that thing?!" he demanded of Percy. "It's a monster! It tried to kill us!"

"I know that," Percy returned. "But if there's a chance for Annabeth to be revived, then…" he trailed off. Leo gnashed his teeth, barely containing his anger.

He pointed at Envy. "That bastard killed Grover!" he exclaimed. "Do you even care about that?!"

"I do. Leo, believe me, I do, but-"

"But what?!" Leo snapped. "You _hated_ him! You abandoned him! He kept waiting and waiting for you to come back and you just got further away, and now he's dead!"

Percy took a shaky breath, but didn't answer.

"That monster took away my best friend!" he cried, tears forming and rolling down his cheeks. "And now you're telling me it's going to help someone? No, that's _bullshit_!"

"Leo, stop…don't…"

The boy clenched his fists, a tense silence forming as the son of Hephaestus tried to contain himself. "…Tell me you cared when you heard that Grover died."

Percy looked him in the eye, lips tight, jaw locked. "…I can't do that," he said finally.

Leo looked down at that. His breaths slowly grew louder, more forceful, and soon his flames lit up again. Without warning, he leapt toward Envy, prepared to kill the Giant. Percy's adrenaline spiked again, and he did the only thing he thought he could with how weak he was. He shot water toward Leo, putting out his flames for just long enough to encase the boy in water completely. He wasn't drowning Leo, but it was like when he shared his pseudo-water-breathing with another person, forming a mini-bubble around their body with water surrounding it, only now, Percy was creating the water.

Leo glared at the son of Poseidon, seemingly trapped. "Please, I don't want to fight you…just…wait, just wait," he begged once again, but Leo was having none of it.

Calling Percy's bluff, Leo lit up his flames again, igniting the oxygen that was keeping him alive inside the case of water, causing the boy to start choking. Percy kept him there for only a moment longer before breaking, not willing to kill Leo. He dropped back to the ground, looking angrier than ever. He charged forward again, and Percy did so as well, jumping in front of him, using his own body, possibly his life, to shield the others.

Leo froze, seeing Percy do such a thing. Flames alight on his fists, Leo saw Percy guard this Giant with his own life, his eyes wide with desperation. Leo couldn't form words, could barely breathe at the treachery. Instead of attack, as he _so badly_ wanted to do, Leo stumbled backwards. "Why…?" he choked out through his tears. Thoughts of Grover filled his mind, of Envy's death at his hands in revenge. "Why…?"

"I can't lose her, Leo…no matter the cost; she stays alive!" Percy growled, and Leo saw that his intention was to fight if he had to, even in such a weak state.

The son of Hephaestus closed his eyes, teeth clenched together so tight that it felt like his jaw might break. "That's not fair…"

"Nothing about our lives is."

"No, shut up!" Leo snapped. "I need this! I can hardly sleep anymore! I can't focus, I can't do anything; I can't move on with my goddamn life until I do this! And you're not going to stop me!" Blinded with rage, Leo swatted Percy toward the entrance, and then went for Envy. The Giant didn't try to move as Leo tackled them both to the ground. Leo laid into Envy with flame-boosted fists, and Envy just took it. "Why?! Why did you kill Grover?! Why did you kill my best friend?!"

Envy's form changed to Leo's own. "I was just following orders," Envy said, before changing form to Reyna's, and then Octavian's, and then finally to Jason's as Leo kept hitting her. "I didn't know anything about my past life when I did it."

"I don't care! You didn't have to kill him!" Leo yelled, rearing back another fist, but hesitated as Envy's form changed, this time to Piper's. "Don't mess with me!" he yelled, smashing his fist into her face again, causing her form to change to Bianca, and then proceeded to cycle through the others from the Argo II that she'd seen, each being punched as hard as Leo could. "Stop it! Stop hiding! Show me who you really are; I want to kill the real you!" he shot another fist toward Envy, but stopped dead when her form changed. Leo's voice caught in his throat, fist frozen in the air. "Y-you're…her…"

Leo distinctly remembered when Jason had painted her without realizing. He'd done so unconsciously, her image having been burned into the son of Jupiter's brain so intensely from continued exposure to her. She was the centerpiece of Camp Jupiter, and had made the ultimate sacrifice.

Envy stood, wiping blood from her face. None of Leo's attacks were meant to be lethal; he wanted to hurt the Giant before he killed her. Of course, that meant that his assault hurt like hell. Yet, did Envy care? Not much.

She reached toward him, and placed her hands onto his cheeks. A voice entered his mind, and his vision was engulfed in white. " _Let me show you how it happened,"_ Tempus' voice, or what Leo imagined was hers. From his vision going black, Leo was bombarded with memories; memories of Tempus' life, of meeting Jason, of becoming praetor, of searching for the Parthenos, before abruptly ending.

His vision returned as he was surrounded by fire and rubble. Leo looked around, vaguely recognizing the scenery of New Rome, only on fire. To his left, Leo saw Jason cloaked in uncontrollable lightning, and beyond him was a small crowd of defeated Romans, Reyna among them. All of their attention was on him, and seeing him having gone mad with rage. No one noticed Tempus, slowly dying, or the Giant that approached her.

She had been blasted away by Jason's explosion, the lightning briefly jump-starting her heart again. Having been critically injured by Krios, it was a miracle that Tempus hadn't died again from the impact. But she hadn't. Instead, she lay looking up at the stars, dying slowly, painfully. A figure approached her, cloaked in shadows. "I see before me a perfect specimen for my research," was all he said before Tempus was lifted up into the air and dragged away. Leo watched it happen, but could do nothing to prevent it, even as he knew that this Giant was Pride.

Leo's vision skipped, and his ears were bombarded by the sounds of Tempus' screaming. It was a loud, bestial, agonizing scream, as if all of her skin was being ripped off piece by piece without stop and without death as a comfort. "It's funny, you see," Pride said nonchalantly. "That fool Kronos didn't even noticed when I took the Algea's powers. Throw in a bit of Mnemosyne and we have a recipe for complete control over a fragile mortal such as you," he leaned toward her, her eyes wide, unfocused. "You will hear me, my new Giant; you are Envy. You are my most loyal servant, and I…I am your God."

Leo crouched down, covering his ears, to no avail. "Stop…please, make it stop…" he begged, hearing her scream pierce his skull, digging its way into his brain. "Stop, please!" he repeated. "I said stop!"

Leo stumbled backwards, back in the real world, free from Envy's vision. The Giant had turned away, and for the first time held some semblance of human emotion; that of guilt. Wait…guilt?

Leo clenched his fists again, tears streaming down his face from all of the conflicting emotions he was feeling. The son of Hephaestus shook his head multiple times, trying to get his thoughts straight. He wiped the tears from his eyes and from his face. "I hate this…" he said finally. "I hate this…because now I can't hate you."

Envy remained motionless, though even she wasn't prepared for what came next. Leo stepped toward her, almost appearing as if he was going to truly kill her. That was what Percy assumed, anyway.

"Leo, no!" he begged, struggling to stand.

Leo didn't stop, however, closing the distance between them, and suddenly bringing Envy into a hug. Fresh tears poured, and Envy took a silent gasp at the act. "It's alright," Leo said, choking back as many tears as he could. "You don't have to be alone anymore."

Envy blinked, mouth agape. She didn't…have to be alone…? The feeling that came over her was so foreign, even though she remembered that it was called relief. Envy felt warmth roll down her cheeks; tears. In a wave of forgotten emotions, Envy embraced Leo back and silently sobbed. Percy looked up in awe. He knew he wouldn't have had the mental fortitude to do that.

Leo and Envy separated. "Please…finish healing Annabeth," he said, leaving her to do the task. He went over to Percy.

"Leo, I…I don't know what to say."

"Then don't," he said coldly. "You're still a bastard…but you're strong. And right now…Jason needs your help," Leo reached into his tool belt, and pulled out a vial of liquid; the other elixir that Hermes gave them, the one which returned whoever drank it to full strength with no repercussions. "You want to protect Annabeth, right? Her and your kid? You don't want to be a hero anymore?"

"How did…y-yes, more than anything!" Percy exclaimed, too tired to question. Leo held out the vial.

"Jason can make that dream become a reality, if you'll let him," Leo said, and suddenly, Percy's world disappeared. He was back in the room, trapped. He heard rushing waves, and just beyond his feet was the pier; a pier inside of a room. Instead of the light, there was a door, and instead of disappointed friends, Percy was alone. Leo's words rang like thunder in Percy's mind, and suddenly, the door burst open, and a silhouette of the son of Jupiter came into view from the blinding light just beyond the doorway. His hand was outstretched, and with its length, the way to the light didn't seem do far away anymore.

Percy felt tears come to his eyes. He was…free. He was being offered freedom. With an overwhelming feeling of triumph, Percy reached out his hand, and took Jason's. His vision crashed back to reality, and Percy had clasped hands with Leo, taking the vial in his hand.

This time, it was Percy's turn to keep Jason alive.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason crashed into the ground hard, nearly falling unconscious from the impact. The fight had actually been going better than Jason expected; he was able to keep up with Pride, but his power was greatly lacking in order to trade blows with him. Thankfully, Bianca had awoken, and was aiding as best she could, but they were moving so fast that she sometimes had a hard time following the action.

Now, though, Jason felt that his tanks were starting to get depleted. If this went on much longer…Jason dared to look toward Gaia, where Piper was conscious and speaking to her. " _Come on…please hurry and put her back to sleep…"_ Jason begged in his head. Light flashed in his vision, and he was blasted back by a ball of fire. Bianca helped to soften the impact with her shadows, but was soon knocked into Jason, as Pride charged up a big attack.

He let it loose just as Jason and Bianca were recovering, but before it could get to them, a massive sphere of blood shot between them, connecting to and detonating the blast long before it came close to the demigods. Almost immediately after, water shot onto them, healing their wounds and slightly recovering their stamina.

"What?!" Pride demanded, right before he was impaled through the chest, from behind, by a Celestial Bronze sword, and thrown away from the others.

"Percy?" Jason questioned.

Percy!" Bianca ran over to him, ecstatic. "You're alive!"

"Yeah," he said, turning back to Pride, who was bleeding a green liquid from the new hole in his chest. "Thanks for softening him up for me."

"You…insolent…" Pride spat out a glob of blood, before burning his wound closed.

"We'll take him together," Jason said. Pride looked ready to strike, but all of them were distracted by Gaia, who stood up…somehow. The way it was, it seemed like her massive form was attached to the ground via roots, like a tree, but she just sat up like it was nothing, and walked off like Godzilla.

"W-what? No!" Pride exclaimed, knowing that his hopes were dashed now that Gaia was fully awake. Absolutely seething with rage, the Giant clenched his fists. "You demigods have ruined _everything_!" Pride roared, rising into the air. "You are _nothing_! You are but ants to my power! You're _exactly_ like your parents; always getting in my way!"

"And you're just like every other immortal; always underestimating us," Percy returned.

Jason stepped forward. "Give up now, Pride. This doesn't have to end in a fight."

The Giant's lip twitched in rage. "No…no, you're correct. It will end in a massacre," Pride shot up into the air in the blink of an eye. "This isn't the end; on the contrary, I can wait another few millennia and try once again. I will kill and steal and maim any and all Olympians that I have to. And today…nothing would give me more pleasure than to watch the light fade from your eyes, Jason Grace," Pride raised his hand, almost as if he were charging up and attack. Instead, the ground started to rumble.

"Quick, grab on!" Jason ordered.

"I don't think running away is going to work this time, man!" Percy pointed to the carved-out wall, and saw all manner of monster jumping out, climbing down, and flying out; the flying ones in particular would've made escape difficult, not to mention Pride still being there. In addition to the army coming from the caves, about double their numbers erupted from the ground beneath them.

"Where did they all come from?" Bianca questioned, the three going back-to-back-to-back.

"Tartarus," Percy guessed. Truthfully, he'd been wondering for a while where the monster army that Pride must've accumulated had been, considering that they've been exclusively fighting Giants, rogue entities, or Lust spawn since this whole thing began. It turns out that he'd been stockpiling them for a massive attack. and not just that, but he specifically held a trump card.

"No, I meant…never mind…" Bianca sighed.

"Hey, let's focus here," Jason said, all three readying their weapons. As the army finally emerged in its entirety, and the demigods were about to start fighting, a shadow encompassed a gap in the monsters' ranks, and from the sky, fell a mass of scar tissue and dismembered monster parts, from arms, to eyes, to wings, to teeth. It held no true form, or at least it didn't look like it, but all of the demigods could tell what it was. Call it in an innate fear of his name.

Typhon.

Things clicked together for Jason; barring Gaia's resurrection, Typhon had been Pride's play the entire time. Typhon, father of all monsters; according to Roman myth at least, monsters spawned from his carved off flesh. In reality, Jason would bet it translated to monsters forming whenever they hit him, because that's what would've been the most difficult to deal with (and that's _always_ how it goes). Jason would've bet that Pride would use this guy to take care of the camps; overrun them with monsters, should his plan with Gaia fail. Though, given that he was using Typhon now, it made Jason reconsider how much they'd enraged him.

"This doesn't make sense," Percy said, seeing the mass loom over them. "It took all of the Olympian's combined might to bring this guy down. Pride isn't that strong; how is he controlling him?"

"Weaker form? The gods killed him, so he probably could only reform this fast if he was weaker," Bianca offered. Percy paused.

"Eh…point."

All the while, and the monsters drew closer, Pride was cackling. In the Giant's mind, Percy would bet that there was no way that they would make it out of this situation alive. And that thought just made Percy want to prove him wrong.

"We take them on together," the son of Poseidon said, turning back to see the others looking to him. They all nodded at each other. Jason and Bianca split off to attack a portion of the army. Percy faced forward, blades at the ready. The monsters glared and gnashed their teeth and roared at him. His deep breath was slow, ragged, tense. "I am the force that split the sea," he chanted. "We the ones who retrieved the Parthenos. We are the ones who survived both of the worst hells of the Greek world. We are the ones who will protect all demigods, and if you want to harm them, then come," Percy ran forward and leapt up toward Typhon. "And face the power of the Slayers!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So again, reminder; don't take the power scaling too seriously. Though, if you'll indulge me, given that Percy has beaten Atlas, who was stronger than Artemis, that makes him at least on par with the gods. Jason is, if not as strong as him, at least close. I'd say Bianca is the weakest of them, not due to anything but her differing priorities. Still, she beat Hades. Because of these reasons, I don't think this particular cardinal sin of the PJO world, where Typhon is this mega-powerful thing, is too far out of the realm of possibility.**

 **In any case, a couple references. First, the whole scene with Leo confronting Envy is loosely based on two scenes. First is when Gon confronts Pitou in Hunter X Hunter (that's where the concept came from anyway, though how I've written it doesn't bear too much resemblance). Second is the scene where Edward fights Envy in Fullmetal Alchemist, the original, where Envy reveals his true form. You guys can choose to believe me or not, but honestly, I didn't realize the similarities until I started writing it, and I simply chose to capitalize on it.**

 **Anyway, the line where Pride says "you have no idea how many dead men are behind me" is a TFS reference, from when Trunks fights Perfect Cell. They're honestly some of the highest quality writing online today, no joke...well, except for the Cell Games finale, which kind of sucked ass imo don't me**

 **The final part when the three demigods are faced with the army of monsters is a direct reference to the scene in Kingdom Hearts II, when Sora, Donald, and Goofy go to fight the army of Heartless. Side note, the track for that cutscene, Showdown at Hollow Bastion, is so fucking epic; I love it.**

 **Um...I thought the scene where Jason destroys the ritual was a reference to something, but I don't think so anymore. If it is, I can't remember where I saw it. Maybe it's just that I have so vivid of an image pertaining to that moment in my head. Idk it doesn't matter that much.**

 **In any case, thank you all for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow.**

 **Oh, and tomorrow I will say for sure the plan for the finale part.**


	70. We Have Arrived

At the bottom of the ocean…

"We are not going to survive this, are we?" Tyson was staring at the floor.

Poseidon kept his eyes forward, toward the door to his personal throne room. He avoided the worried, no…terrified looks that he was being given by the tattered remains of his army. The god of the sea took a breath. "…No."

"Father, is there truly no way to win?" Triton questioned

"Win?" Poseidon chuckled, his voice dry and hopeless. "Son…there is no way to even survive…"

The pounding outside of the throne room was growing louder by the minute. They'd been hearing this for several hours now, along with the hideous roars of the monster that approached. The last time this had happened, it had taken the combined might of Poseidon and all of his demigod children (of which there was an army back then) to defeat this foe, and even then, only to subdue it. The battle had cost each of their lives. It took the sea god a thousand years to have another mortal child after that loss.

Poseidon took a breath. "I don't say this enough…but it has been an honor to serve with all of you…" he called out to the small force stationed in front of him. "Though…I fear our time has come to an end. With any luck, the other Olympians will find a way to survive this, and someone may take our place."

Tyson was shaken to his core at that. "But…there is no one who can replace you!"

"Nonsense…everything is replaceable…"

"Father…"

Poseidon raised his trident. "If we are to die here today, it will not be in despair. We fight to the last man!" he called

Half-heartedly, the force yelled in agreement, and faced toward the door, remaining stalwart in the face of certain demise. Taking another breath, Poseidon raised his trident, and prepared himself.

He wouldn't make it to the battle, however. "Father…I have an idea…" Tyson said meekly.

"To save us?"

"No…to save you…"

xxxXXXxxx

Annabeth's drift back to conscious wasn't a pleasant one. It was filled with convulsions, filled with these awful nauseous fits, but once she was fully conscious, all of it faded in an instant. She opened her eyes, and was immediately confused.

Sitting up, she saw that she was in a darkened room. Instantly upon sitting up, she felt a sharp pain dig into her head, and her hand shot up to her forehead in an effort to counteract it. "W-what…?" she shook her head, not even registering that she was using a hand which should've still been broken. It throbbed, but was usable. Looking around as she could, Annabeth saw Leo sitting a bit away from her, face unreadable (a anomaly for him), though eyes still burning with passion. Annabeth couldn't tell if it was anger, but she wanted to avoid it even if it wasn't.

The only other person in the room had their back facing her. "P…Percy?" Annabeth questioned. "Y-you…you're…?"

"Rest," Percy said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "You'll be weak for a while."

"I…y-yeah, no kidding…what happened?"

"You were captured."

"And…you came to save me?" she wondered.

Percy's head shifted, looking up, as if contemplating something. "Not quite," Leo said, standing. Before her eyes, Percy's form shifted. It blurred into something different, something not unlike her own form, only appearing older, a bit leaner, with paler skin and hair. When this new form turned to face her, her eyes were what caught Annabeth's attention; hollow, staring at nothing.

Broken.

"You're…Tempus…" Annabeth said the name, but it felt foreign on her tongue, as if her brain already knew that that wasn't entirely the case.

"This is Envy," Leo claimed. "She healed you. Now, she's coming with me, back to camp."

"Back to…Leo, this thing-"

"I know," he interrupted. "But…but that wasn't her. The blood may be on her hands, but that doesn't mean she wielded them of her own accord."

Envy's form shifted, to Annabeth's own. "…I'm sorry for the pain I've caused," she said, though it sounded disingenuous, like she was still trying to figure out how to properly apologize. She turned to Leo. "If we are not all dead by the end of today, then I must go face the punishment of the demigods."

"B-but…" Annabeth shook her head again, trying to ease the pain. On top of her condition, the situation was already too much to take in. And that was before the entire compound rumbled. "W-what was that?"

"The three Slayers are likely battling my God as we speak. They will likely fail and perish."

"What? P-Percy!" Annabeth shot to her feet, and immediately regretted it, being subject to a dizzy spell. Leo kneeled down beside her.

"Hey, take it easy…you might not be able to do much for a while…"

"B-but…I can't just sit here and do nothing!" the daughter of Athena asserted.

"You won't be of any help," Envy said, having changed form to Leo's own. "Right now, you're useless."

"Useless…?"

"She's right," Leo agreed. "You're too weak to fight. For now, just…stay here."

"Please!" Annabeth lunged forward and latched onto Envy. "Please, help him for me!"

"I can't."

"Please, Percy is all I have! We have to make it out of this war alive, for our child, please!" she begged, tears running down her face at the thought of going back alone. Envy stared at her, eyes flickering with the slightest hint of sympathy.

"…My God is too powerful," the Giant claimed.

"No, not with your help; you're just as strong as him, right? You're a Giant, like him?" she questioned, to which Envy avoided her gaze, form shifting to Percy. Somehow, whether by chance or by divine intervention, Envy held an all-too familiar look when in the Titan Slayer's form. Annabeth had seen it before, and she wished that she'd never see it again.

After his first encounter with Atlas, Percy himself had held this look about him, this defeated look, everywhere he went. No matter what he did, he acted as if he'd already lost. Gods know how much time and hardship it took to knock him out of that funk. Well, this time, Annabeth wouldn't hesitate to call it like it was.

"You're scared," she claimed. The Giant's eyes flickered again, meaning she was right. "You're not worried about whether we would win, you're scared of what he'll do to you once he finds out you helped us."

"Annabeth…" Leo stepped toward her. The daughter of Athena let go of Envy, and then took her hands.

"Just…trust me when I say…I know what it's like to be afraid…" she said to the older girl. "And there aren't any words to make you feel better…but I know you have the strength to overcome that. I know…because I do too, and I _did_ overcome it."

"You misunderstand; the girl you're referring to is dead," Envy claimed. The slight shake in her voice gave away her doubt in her own words. Already, the demigods were affecting her.

"That's not what I see."

"What you 'see' is irrelevant."

"Is it?" Annabeth mused. "…Because no matter what you say, no matter what face you wear…you still sound like you did, when you told me how…empty you became after your journey."

"Only as empty as the monster we found in there," Envy said, despite herself. The words almost came unwillingly.

Annabeth smiled. "See? You're still their Tammy, deep down," she said. Envy looked away, form shifting from one person to another, seemingly without end. "Being here…at the end of the world…it makes me wonder where I fit in with all of this…" Envy's form halted at her own words. She blinked, eyes foggy at remembering those words. "I want to line the pieces up. Yours…and mine…"

Envy blinked a few more times, and felt something warm fall from her eyes. When she reached up, she found tears. Alarmed, but more confused, Envy stepped away from the Greek and wiped her eyes. She changed to Reyna. "…I forgot…" she muttered. "I forgot how…ignorantly compassionate demigods could be…"

"Hey, you're still one of us, you know," Leo smirked.

"I…I will help you…" the forceful way she said it, how she closed her eyes and scrunched her face…Annabeth could tell it took everything to say those words, to betray Pride.

" _To think loyalty could be drilled that far into her…"_ Annabeth thought. Though, with that declaration, the three began making their way to the battlefield.

xxxXXXxxx

Percy's breath was ragged, his form tense as he was crouched low to the ground. Water circled around him, warding off his opponents should they try to approach prematurely. The son of Poseidon slowly stood, and looked around him.

Call it a hallucination, but Percy would more so say it was an aftereffect of the Nyx encounter. He saw himself, from various timelines, all having been more heroic, happier, and determined than he had been. "Always thought I'd eventually find something I couldn't beat…it was only a matter of time…didn't think it'd be myself, though," he said, mimicking Other Percy's words; it was one of the few sentiments they shared. He reached up and wiped some blood from his lip, willing it to infuse into his blade, adding to its power. He heard a voice call his name from far away. He heard it over and over again, and with each call, it grew closer. "Good thing I don't have to face it by myself," Percy smirked, turned around, and saw Jason shoot past him, flying into the wall of monsters that were ready to tear Percy to shreds.

The son of Poseidon shot forward, leaving the army to Jason, and going to help Bianca, who was busy trying to keep the attention of Typhon, though it was extremely difficult since he didn't appear to be paying attention to anything in particular, just moving slowly toward the carved out mountainside, flesh extending into these disgusting, mangled appendages to strike at whatever it was that was hitting him.

With each hit Bianca landed, either with her whip-sword or with her shadows, some of the flesh fell off and formed into more monsters. Thankfully, most of the hits only took off enough to form weak monsters, like the laughable fodder that was Drachanae. However, with some of them, the formed into much larger and more dangerous monsters, like Laistrygonian Giants, with their flaming iron volleyballs.

Percy rushed to help the daughter of Hades, but was blocked off. The Titan Slayer was at a bit of a disadvantage in this battle, because a lot of the monsters that had come back from Tartarus, were ones that he ended up having killed in the past. So where most of their old rivals were dead, Percy was nice and alive and ready to be slaughtered. Unfortunately for them, however, Percy wasn't nearly as weak as he was when he fought them.

Percy skidded to a stop, seeing a group of five monsters block his way; Thorn the Manticore, Medusa (who he identified _without_ looking directly at her face), the Nemean Lion, Chrysaor, and Polyphemus; they made a nice little rogue's gallery for him. He shot out a wave of water to separate them, and then went to work. He shot towards Chrysaor, figuring that he was the priority target with his skill with a blade.

He didn't want to use his blood manipulation on any of them (and he didn't know if he even could with most of the more bestial ones like the Nemean Lion), since he needed to save his energy to last throughout the whole battle, as well as whatever fight they were going to have with Pride when they finished with his army.

With his double-bladed rush, Percy quickly broke through the pirate's defenses and slashed his across the chest, before spinning around and delivering a devastating kick to the head, enhanced by his water, knocking his skull clean off. As he did this, Polyphemus rushed in and smashed his fists down; Percy braced himself and took the blow, the force creating a small crater. Flexing his powers, the son of Poseidon created spires of water that erupted from the ground, impaling the Cyclops in several areas. It likely didn't hurt much (with so much fat and endurance on top of that), but it immobilized him so Percy could back away.

Hearing an enemy approach from behind, Percy arced his hand backward, with water following in a scythe shape, and cutting them clean in half; it was Medusa. Thankfully, her head wasn't a prize this time, and she simply exploded into dust.

This was when things started to go wrong. Not only was Thorn approaching, but Polyphemus had freed himself, grabbed Chrysaor's corpse to use as a weapon, and was barreling toward him. On top of those two prominent threats, Percy saw a burst of energy a ways away, right as Typhon's feet, and Bianca was sent flying into the air, where she'd be easy pickings to the aerial monsters that also noticed her lift-off and were soaring toward her, despite Jason's efforts to destroy them.

In a split second, Percy made his choice. "Bianca, to Jason!" he yelled, wrenched his hand up and forming a massive spire of hard water, right in Bianca's path, extending out over the battlefield toward where the son of Jupiter was fighting, and fighting ferociously. Thankfully, her reflexes were still incredible. She managed to hook onto the spire and twist herself onto it, sailing along like she was skating, maintaining her balance across the narrow path even as she twisted and ducked and slashed the monsters flying at her by the dozen.

Percy, once Bianca had leapt off, pulled his hand back down, willing the water to come back to him, crashing down onto his approaching opponents in a violent burst, flattening Polyphemus, who Percy had actually targeted, and blasting Thorn away long enough for Percy to deal with the Nemean Lion, who, at that moment, charged.

Percy deflected its rapid claw strikes before empowering his fist and punching it away. He then arched his back, narrowly avoiding an incoming swipe at his head by Thorn. Polyphemus finally recovered, and was now charging at them. Percy dove out of the way of another slam, before launching back, empowering his sword, and slashing through both of the Cyclops' big, meaty hands, severing them and mostly neutralizing their threat. Percy then blasted the monster off of his feet, right as the Nemean Lion charged, roaring as it did.

Percy spun around to face the beast, and threw his water-created blade at it, and blade going straight into the monster's throat. Percy then clenched his fist, dissolving the blade, but using the water that it was made off to shoot out sharp tendrils of water. Percy saw them push against the Lion's impervious skin from the inside, and a moment later, the monster exploded into dust from a massive internal damage that was done. Percy then opted to finish off Polyphemus, who was trying desperately to stand up. Percy leapt up into the air and then shot himself down, landing a fatal stab into the monster's eye, and then he exploded into dust as well.

That left Thorn, an old favorite. Percy readied his blade for the oncoming monster, but he never made it to him. Instead, Percy felt something lean on his shoulder, and then a precise, magical bullet shot out, landing a direct headshot on the monster, and bringing the encounter to a close.

Percy turned around to see Piper, who, after shooting Thorn, turned to face the horde of monsters that had been pursuing her through the battlefield. With a wave of his hand, water flooded the horde, securing them at least a few seconds. "I totally had that," Percy claimed.

"So did I," Piper returned.

"You should leave, it's-"

"Too dangerous here? Percy, please," Piper rolled her eyes.

"No, I was going to tell you to go make sure Annabeth was alright," Percy pointed to the carved-out mountainside.

"Oh…yeah, sure."

With that, Percy stepped away from her. "Jason, give her a boost!" Percy yelled, before shooting her up into the air on a pillar of water.

The son of Jupiter had flexed his powers when the fight started, amplifying their voices to where they could communicate through the chaos. He looked toward where Percy had called, and saw Piper shot into the air. He leapt up after her, and caught her. He spun several times, building up momentum, before shooting her toward the cliff face. Unfortunately, both were attacked.

Piper was tackled out of the sky, not by monsters, but by Pride, who had been watching the battle impatiently, expecting the demigods to crumble under the weight of his army. Seeing that they were sending someone away, either to escape or aid those still inside, Pride finally moved from his perch.

Piper crashed through the one glass bubble, and was thrown into the opposite wall. The daughter of Aphrodite managed to stay conscious, but was now up against a Giant alone. He raised New Side and Echo, her blade and gun, though she didn't know how useful they'd be. "You're going to leave this place," she said, putting all of her willpower into the words. "You're not going to attack me."

"You're going to tell me what you did," Pride returned, not having been affected at all. Piper didn't know whether that because he just wasn't affected, or whether it was because she just wasn't strong enough to affect him with her Charmspeak. Either way, she knew she couldn't talk her way out this, so defiance might be a better way to not allow his satisfaction. His eyes were wild; pissed would be an excellent word to describe the look he was giving her. "Where is the earth mother?!"

Piper glanced out, seeing that the Protogenos had indeed left this place, as Piper had asked her to, in her half-asleep state. "She's gone," was all Piper gave him.

"Where?!"

"Nowhere that I'd ever tell you," she said, bluffing. Assuming Pride lived through today, he wouldn't have a hard time finding Gaia; Piper just needed her away from this battle. "You're gonna die today."

The Giant barred his teeth, shaking with an uncontrollable rage. "No…no…you're mistaken, you tiny _bastard_ demigod; today, I will see the hope and light fade from each and every one of you! Starting with you!" Pride rushed forward. Piper raised her blade, but knew she wouldn't raise it fast enough to block the hit. Thankfully, this is when a massive wave of fire shot toward Pride, and blasted him away.

Jason, meanwhile, was attacked by Typhon, who seemed to notice him flying and didn't like that, using a whip-like appendage to knock him right out of the sky, crashing into the ground, hard. Jason didn't know which was worse; that hit, or when Pride attacked him back in Rome. Both were equally painful.

Jason pushed himself onto his hands and knees quickly, seeing monsters approach. He shot himself to his feet using his wind, sending it out in a circle around him, knocking the monsters off of their feet. Then he brought a gale onto them, crushing them into dust.

Jason looked around in the few seconds he had, not noticing any difference from when they began this fight. Jason knew that their stamina was limited, even if their reserves were unusually high for demigods. They needed to end this fight as soon as possible, or risk not having enough to combat Pride afterward.

"Guys! This isn't working!" Jason called, readying his blade against the new wave of monsters that look identical to the last, only now Jason was just a tiny bit weaker.

"No matter how many we kill, they just keep coming!" Bianca agreed. "This is hopeless!"

"I don't…" Jason hesitated. He didn't want to give up, but none of them had the power to put down Typhon, and so long as he was alive, these monsters would just keep coming.

"Don't you _dare_ say we should give up!" Percy growled, powers exploding. Both monster and demigod turned to look at the brilliant display of power. The only one who didn't seem to care was Typhon.

"Percy, I don't know how we're going to do this," Jason said, feeling his confidence fade as he said it.

"Listen to me; so long as you see me standing, you don't have the right to give up!" the son of Poseidon roared. "So long as we're fighting here, this army isn't marching into our homes and slaughtering our friends and family!"

"We're not strong enough!" Bianca argued, struggling to fight against a massive group of monsters that had circled her, even as she was killing them in droves. "We can only do so much!"

"None of us have the strength to fight Typhon!" Jason called. "I say we cut our losses and leave; live to fight another day."

"And I say that you'll have to drag my unconscious body away before that happens!" Percy returned. "You told me that I'm not fighting alone, so start acting like it! We can end this now, but we must work _together_! If we combine our powers, there's no limit to what we can do! We've been working our entire lives, fighting, clawing, and crawling forward along the path of a demigod in the hopes of just breaking even. Alone, that was all we could hope for, all that our lives would amount to. Maybe that's our destiny in the end, and maybe we can't escape that no matter what we do or no matter how hard we try, but today, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with each other, after fighting, clawing, and crawling for so long and so hard, after suffering through hell after hell to even stand each other, I refuse to accept a goddamn stalemate! Maybe the war ends with bloodshed, with death, and maybe none of us live to see the peace we'll bring about, but today we will fight! Today, we'll live! Today, with all of you by my side, I won't settle for anything less than an absolute victory!"

Jason took in a breath, and Bianca got chills down her spine. " _We've been going about this all wrong…"_ Jason thought, a million possibilities running through his head. " _We've been trying to thin the numbers by splitting up, but what we needed to do was…"_

Jason shot into the air, willing a whirlwind to form around him as he did, sweeping a group of monsters up. He looked to where Bianca was, and willed his wind to throw the monsters there like cannonballs, crashing into the horde that was attacking her. Percy, similarly, carved a path toward the daughter of Hades.

"You think with all of us, we can beat that thing?" Bianca questioned, standing back-to-back-to-back with the two boys once again.

"I don't have a doubt in my mind," Percy returned.

"You two are insane," Jason claimed. "But against these odds, I think that's what we need. I have a plan; it's gonna take everything and then more after that."

"It wouldn't be a challenge if it didn't," Bianca claimed.

"…she beat me by half a second," Percy said. Jason rolled his eyes and grabbed them both by the back of their shirts, and lifted them all in the air.

"Get us some room!" the son of Jupiter ordered, causing both Percy and Bianca to shoot out water and shadows respectively, systematically carving through monsters as Jason spun them around, creating a wide berth for his plan to go into motion. "Bianca, we need a path to Typhon; get an earthquake going; Percy, we need to keep her safe while she does it. Give me some juice!" Jason let the two of them go, and then built up power within himself, releasing it and maintaining it as a massive tornado, with the three demigods in the epicenter. Bianca crouched low to the ground, shadows building up around her. Meanwhile, Percy was adding his own power to Jason's, infusing it with water to make a kind of hurricane, even adding shards of hardened water which sliced up any monsters stupid enough to approach. The intense wind nearly swept Percy and Bianca off their feet, but Bianca locked them both down with some shadows.

By now, Typhon was almost to the cliff face i.e. where their friends were; they needed to stop him at all costs. "Ready!" Bianca called. Jason lifted both he and Percy into the air, interrupting the hurricane, but allowing them to go unharmed from Bianca's massive release of power. Shadows surged through the ground displacing, all but a path wide enough for three, with dead hands shooting from the ground in waves, dragging any monsters that approached the path back down into Tartarus. And this time, they wouldn't have so easy an escape.

Jason and Percy landed. "Bianca, get him into the air, toward Typhon. Percy, I'm going to give you a boost; you get us a hole into that bastard's heart, you hear?"

Percy nodded, drawing Oathkeeper and slicing his arm, simultaneously putting Riptide away. Another few seconds, and Bianca's dead hand barrier would break; luckily, that was all they needed. Percy formed a water whip with his off hand, building up a sphere of blood and water in his right. Bianca similarly produced a whip of shadows, locking it onto Percy's before she and Jason broke into a run. "Now!" Jason called, leaping into the air on his wind, with Bianca tugging and yanking Percy up with the whiplash of their respective elements. Percy shot through the air like a bullet, with Jason keeping pace until they were a ways away, but above, Typhon. Jason flipped around, and with a roar of exertion, shot Percy downward with a colossal blast of wind. Percy easily broke the sound barrier upon launch, and with a roar of his own, collided with Typhon head-on, releasing a massive burst of his power and blasting off an equally massive chunk of flesh. Percy was blasted back from the explosion, but Jason caught him and landed them both along the path that Bianca was already running along. The two met her pace, each charging up their respective elements.

Bianca's shadows followed them allow the ground, Percy's water trailed behind them as they ran, and Jason's lightning arced out of the sky onto his spear. "Percy!" he called, ducking low and riding on the wind.

"Jason, Bianca, now!" Percy roared as he shot himself into the air with a geyser of water.

"Come on!" Bianca leapt up and reared her blade back. Percy shot himself downward to the point of impact, and Jason similarly arced upwards. The three's attacks met right at Typhon heart, and they soared right through his fleshy body, leaving trails of power in their wake.

The three landed, and then whirled around, just in case things didn't go as planned. As they did, Typhon shook, its flesh giggled a bit, before it all exploded outwards into dust, which then shot away from the extreme wind that was produced by Typhon's death.

All three of the demigods were panting, but not spent. How could they be, with so much left to do. And now, with that victory fresh in their minds and adrenaline pumping in their veins…honestly, they were on the top of the world.

xxxXXXxxx

Leo shot into the room where they'd heard the crash, and saw Piper about to be flattened. The son of Hephaestus let off a giant fireball, right onto the approaching Giant, blasting him away, and allowing time for the others to come into the room. "Are we late?" Leo questioned.

"Right on time," Piper replied, both demigods facing the now-recovered Giant.

"You…how are you still alive?!" Pride demanded, before his eyes locked onto the source of his anger; Envy. "You…I knew I should have killed you after your role had been finished; I suppose I'll just do it now and spare me the headache later!"

The artificial Giant, in her natural form, avoided the death glare he was sending her, not even looking like she wanted to fight. Pride leapt toward her, ready to make good on his threat, but Envy dove out of the way.

"Leave her alone!" Leo demanded, lighting up his flames and shooting them at Pride to ward him off. It didn't work; he just switched his target to Leo. The son of Hephaestus wasn't fast enough to avoid Pride's attack, which would've been fatal, but something knocked him away.

When Leo looked, he saw Annabeth, somehow looking able and ready to fight. Leo didn't have time to question, as suddenly he too was filled with energy and fervor. Piper watched as her friends leapt into action, somehow managing against Pride's unreal speed, even Annabeth, who was without a weapon. Then she felt a hand on her back. She turned her head, seeing Envy, whom Piper had already suspected was Tempus from their encounter at the House of Hades, looking to be in absolute agony from sharing so much power so rapidly, though either couldn't or wouldn't let out a cry of pain to match it. Still, from the touch of Envy's powers, Piper leapt into action, similarly keeping up with Pride. Together, the three demigods were able to hold off the Giant, but only barely. They all, even combined, lacked the power necessary to significantly harm him; even Leo with his fire was unable to do much damage.

Still, they managed to find an opening, and Annabeth and Piper kicked Pride away, into the window, impaling him on a jagged edge. He let out a cry of surprise, not so much pain as that kind of wound wouldn't do much to a Giant. He yanked himself off and seethed, power emanating from him; they were only succeeding in making him mad, it looked like.

"I…have had enough of this!" he roared. "You hold no chance, any of you! In mere moments my army will march up here and destroy-" he turned around, seeing but a fraction of the monsters that there was supposed to be. "Where is my army?!" he demanded, having lost his patience for the demigods' meddling long ago.

Then, they heard a chant, and they saw a bright light radiate from the edge of the tattered monster horde, as they all charged toward it. "From wolves and darkness we were born, steeped in pride and honor we thrive. May we waver but not fall. May we crack but not shatter. Whether seven or seven thousand we will rise, and _no one_ will stand in the way of our glory!"

"Is that…?" Piper began, almost not recognizing it. It felt like a god's presence.

"Jason?" Annabeth agreed.

"Impossible!" Pride said, frantically searching for Typhon, only to come up short. Jason had everyone's attention by that point, and they saw him and the other two children of the big three charging up their power; they were the light, and were about to bring a storm onto Pride and his army. Behind them, what could be seen but an in-tact flag from the destroyed Argo II, with a set of light and dark wings; Greek and Roman power.

"Across the horizon you see us. And as brimstone falls and depths stir violent, you will hear our cry and _tremble_. For then, you will know…" Lightning arced out of the sky repeatedly, landing and building up power in Jason's hand, which reached up to the heavens. In front of him, Percy had his arms outstretched, body pulsing with a sea green aura as he built up power within himself. In front of him was Bianca, hair like a black flame on her head, heads low, pulling shadows up from the depths of hell itself, ready to release. Jason lowered his hand and closed his fist. His eyes shot open, pulsing a bright white energy. "We have arrived," he announced. In unison, the three released their power, with it exploding it as Aether across the battlefield, completely wiping out the remaining monsters. The blast collided with the side of the mountain, likely carving right through it, with some even shooting up the mountain and engulfing their vision with white briefly, before it faded, and only destruction wad left in its wake.

In an instant, Jason had grabbed hold of the others, and shot them up to where Pride was fighting. The three should've been completely spent by now, but instead, they looked raring to go another round or eight with the King of the Giants.

Pride's eye twitched, barely containing his rage. "You…you will _pay_ for this…" he vowed through bared teeth. "You are all of you beneath me!"

"It's over, Pride," Jason announced. "Today, you die."

"It's _far_ from over, you worthless demigod!" Pride snapped back, his roar shaking the mountainside. "I could crush you in one hand if I so desired!"

"Somehow, I doubt that," Percy remarked, only causing Pride to become angrier. Still, he refrained from attacking, seeing the odds stacked against him. In the end, he released a bright light of his own, and then disappeared, opting to cut his losses and fight another day.

Jason let his power disperse after Pride left, and with his absence, and odd and unexpected void appeared. "So…does this mean we won?" Bianca wondered, putting on a blindfold to contain her power.

"I think…" Jason was breathing hard, almost wheezing. "I think so…for now…"

"Actually…" Piper spoke up, cringing. "I've got some bad news."

"Well…save it for now," Jason said. "Right now, we need to prioritize getting back to camp in case-"

"No, that's just it; we can't go back yet," Piper interrupted.

"Why not?"

"Because…the whole 'controlling Gaia' thing is still possible for Pride."

"What? Can he control her even now that she's awake or something?" Leo wondered.

"Well, no, but Gaia has to fall back asleep at some point. The earliest she can is in about four days, but as she does…"

"She'll be vulnerable," Jason finished, to which Piper nodded. The news wasn't all that surprising; if anything was predictable in a demigod's life, it was that the fighting never stopped for long.

"So, in other words, we've got one more battle," Percy said, smacking his fists together.

"It would appear so," Jason agreed. Looking around, he didn't know if they'd be able to do it. Within a few minutes, the adrenaline would fade, and they would all look a lot worse than they did now. His eyes landed on Envy, who had taken Jason's form upon hearing his chant, back in the battle. "Are you a friendly?" Hesitantly, Envy nodded. "Then show me what you really look like," he ordered.

Envy bit her lip, form flickering a bit, but not changing. Ultimately, she decided to stay in Jason's. "I can't," she said with his voice, only it was meeker than his actual one.

Jason stared at the artificial Giant for a moment. "…Fine," he said finally, attention quickly leaving her. "Piper, do you know where Gaia is going? Can you take us there?"

Piper nodded. "It's on the coast; we can be there by tomorrow, if we start now."

"Then we will," the son of Jupiter said.

"Actually," Leo spoke up. "I think this is where we're going to part ways."

Jason turned to him. "…Reason?" he questioned.

"I'm taking Envy back to camp," Leo said. "I don't trust her to get there without running away," he claimed, though Jason doubted that that was the truth. Perhaps it was Leo trying to convince himself.

"I need to face punishment," Envy said. "From both of your…camps…"

Jason took a deep breath. "…You're sure about this? We could really use you," he said to Leo, who shook his head.

"I've made up my mind. You guys have got plenty of badass without me, though."

Jason smiled at that. "Alright. I assume you'll be taking the Labyrinth. Do you need Bianca to…"

"I know the way," Envy claimed. Jason looked at her, still in his form, with skepticism. But Leo seemed to trust the Giant enough, so Jason would give her the benefit of the doubt.

" _If only he knew who she actually was…"_ Piper thought, thinking that she might tell him later. She soon decided against it; it would be Envy's secret to tell, not hers. Besides, he didn't need that on his mind; not until the war was over.

"Then I guess the plan is decided," Jason said, recounting it. "Leo, you and Envy go back to camp. It might be better, in case of an attack. That leaves the rest of us to meet and protect Gaia as she falls back asleep in four days' time. If this really is the final battle, then Pride will probably send everything he has at us. We've still got three natural Giants left alive; we can't get complacent. Today, we won, but in four days…well, that's yet to be decided."

"We'll win," Percy assured them. "Just like today."

"So long as we fight together, we can take them," Bianca agreed.

Little did they know that Pride was already thinking of ways to make sure that that didn't happen.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, before I say anything else, I highly recommend you all listen to the song "What Becomes of Us" from Final Fantasy Type-0, specifically the second half of it. It's this really epic orchestral track that ends on one of the most triumphant beats I've ever heard. It's legitimately one of my favorite songs, and I couldn't recommend this enough. Speaking of Type-0, the final part of the battle where Jason does the chant is based on when Calls 0 arrives in the opening cutscene, so there's a pseudo-reference for you, though they just struck an anime pose, whereas here they actually do stuff to go along with the little speech.**

 **Speaking of the speech, it actually doesn't come out of nowhere, as you might believe. What Jason says there is actually a translated form of what Nero says back in the finale of House of Hades, right before he shows Jason what happened to the Parthenos. Well, it's supposed to be translated, but I don't know Latin, and online translators aren't the most accurate. Either way, that was the intention.**

 **But on the chapter itself, I realize that it was mainly just a big fuck-off battle and it ended kind of abruptly, but I don't really care. Sometimes I need the catharsis as a writer, so there.**

 **But enough about what I think, I want to know what you guys think, so leave me a review to let me know!**

 **Oh! And before I forget, this will be the end of daily uploads until I finish writing. Sorry, but that's how it's gotta be, for my sake anyway. Don't worry, I only have like three chapters left to write, and then the epilogues which won't take long. Expect between a week and a week and a half for new uploads.**

 **But with that, I'll see you later!**


	71. The Talk

"So…I guess this is goodbye," Winona said, as the last of the Romans began their journey back. The scene was like that of a movie. The Greeks were kind enough to pay their way via train, which meant Reyna had to organize who went to which station and when, since they couldn't have 200 teenagers travelling by train all at once or else raise the suspicion of the authorities. Reyna stayed behind a bit after, with orders for the others to wait near the drop-off so they could return together.

The reason she stayed was mostly to work out the boring logistical stuff, but she'd be lying if she said she minded, but that was most because she rarely had to speak to anyone but Winona. Most of the other Greeks still held…well, it definitely wasn't anger or resentment. Perhaps trepidation, while ironic, might have been a good word to describe it. The Parthenos dissolved the innate distrust between them, but it would take time for the scars of their recent near-war to fade. To Reyna, that was understandable.

"For now," Reyna said to the girl. "We'll meet again, maybe sooner than you think."

"Gods, I hope not," Winona put a hand on her hip and smirked, and got a light punch to the arm for her remark. "Reyna…"

"Yeah?"

"…We only met like a week and a half ago."

"And?"

"It feels like I've known you my whole life," Winona said. Reyna raised an eyebrow. "…That sounded weird…"

"That it did, lass. But…blow me down, I _do_ get where you're coming from," Reyna offered a hand to shake. "Have to admit, you're pretty savvy…for a Greek."

Winona stared at Reyna's hand for a moment, before unabashedly walking into a hug with the woman. "And you're pretty…for a Roman."

Reyna rolled her eyes, but nonetheless returned the embrace. "Did I say 'savvy'? I meant 'shallow'."

"…You're gentle, too…"

"Alright, enough of that, lass," Reyna said as her train slowly rolled up. "…Last train home…"

"Keep in touch."

"That's the line for _after_ we're done fighting the Giants," Reyna reminded her, bringing a frown to Apollo's successor. "Do that Iris-Message thing tomorrow. I've discussed with Chiron; we're in agreement that we should gather together to fight. I'm going to try and convince him to bring you all to Camp Jupiter."

"But…" Winona bit her lip. "I think we should all just go to Olympus."

"Do you really believe the gods would allow us there?" Reyna questioned, to which Winona avoided her gaze. "I've half a mind to believe that they only wanted to reunite us so we Romans can serve as meat-shields for their real defense; you."

"That's not…"

"Well, we're not going to play by the gods' rules this time."

"…"

The train stopped and the doors opened. Reyna stepped inside, and turned back around to face Winona once again. "But that can wait. We both deserve at least one day off, lass."

Winona nodded, but didn't smile as the praetor did. Instead, the two waved each other goodbye, and then the train just started rolling away.

xxxXXXxxx

"No more running," Piper said resoundingly, after a long, fifteen minute back-and-forth over whether or not he was going to do this. The group of demigods had arrived where Gaia was falling back asleep just at daybreak, and all had gotten a good day-and-night's rest from the ordeal they all went through.

In three days, Pride would attack in the hopes of taking control of Gaia, but until then, the demigods were able to rest somewhat easy. Before everyone had settled in, Bianca made everyone witness to an Iris-Message to Winona, who seemed just a bit awkward in front of her. From the call, they learned that their end of the plan went swimmingly; the war was averted and the Romans were in the process of cleaning up and heading back to Camp Jupiter to prepare for any coming conflict with the Giants. Jason made a mental note to thank Reyna again; if it wasn't for her, none of this would've been possible. When asked what the former Argo II crew was doing, Jason had to do some crash-course explanations to fit everything in. It seemed like so much had happened since when they last saw her.

With that out of the way, Jason actually managed to get a good night's rest, which was a plus, before taking the morning to examine their surroundings. Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could conceivably do to prepare. In the best case, they could've put up some barricades or make-shift walls to use as defense, but a. against Giant they'd be useless, and b. they needed to conserve as much strength as they could for this final battle. In the end, Jason planned for them all to hold at the top of the new island mountain.

And yeah, _that_ was a thing. Gaia's physical form wasn't just going to go away. Instead, a new island would form, and with it a big mountain. It wasn't ideal, but to stay as close to her as possible in order to defend, it would have to do. They'd be too spread out at the mountain's base (if they wanted to cover it from all angles), and they knew they couldn't take the Giants individually. That was the worst case scenario.

But of course, all of this brought Jason to this moment, turned away from a pleasant conversation with Piper, and toward the one who needed the talk, and yet Jason had been dreading this moment since Rome. Even with the strides he'd taken since then, even with the new perspectives and abilities he'd acquired…gods, he _really_ didn't want to have "the talk" with Percy. The son of Poseidon had positioned himself on top of the mountain, which might just be accurately described as a big hill than a mountain, staring off into the water.

And yet, here he was, pushed forward as Piper scurried off, with Percy staring at him like he was a raging idiot. "Did you, um…need something?" he asked.

"Um…no, I didn't," Jason said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I just…figured it would be good to talk, is all."

"…Last time this happened-"

"We nearly killed each other," Jason finished. "Trust me, I know. But…look; I've changed, and you've clearly changed…so…I don't know, maybe we can start over?"

Jason stole a glance at the son of Poseidon, whose gaze never wavered and whose face was unreadable. Jason made it a point to watch those around him, just because it was useful as a leader to know some of the ins and outs of the people that surrounded him. With Percy, Jason had always seen a fierceness in his eyes, a warning not the mess with him. While Percy _may_ still have that when in battle, when just lounging about as he was, the impression was just gone, replaced with an even more pronounced melancholy than before.

Finally, Percy gestured for Jason to sit, and the son of Jupiter did. "…What do you want to talk about?" Percy asked.

"Well…honestly, I didn't think I'd get this far," Jason admitted, to which Percy chuckled briefly. It seemed to be more out of courtesy than humor. Neither of them spoke for a moment, with just the wind and the waves filling their ears. Jason had thought long and hard about what he'd say to Percy once he saw him again, and gone through several scenarios in his head. In some of them, they started fighting again. In most, Percy ignored or denounced Jason. None of them ended particularly well, and in all of them things went south fast. Jason sighed. "I can't do this…" he lamented. "I can't just be something I'm not; I did that for too long already and with you I keep finding myself…reverting…" another sigh. "I'm just going to be myself. If you don't like it, then I don't care anymore."

Percy remained silent at that. He was so stone-faced that Jason wasn't even sure he was listening.

"I want to start with an apology. All the way from when we first met, to now; all of that was just a gigantic mistake, where I just…couldn't get across what I wanted to get across and I had no idea how to deal with you and just everything. So I'm sorry, whole-heartedly, I am."

Jason waited for a response. Percy's was a bit delayed. He thought about what Jason had said for a moment, and then spoke. "Funny; I was just thinking something similar," he claimed. "I, uh…yeah, I treated you like shit, so…sorry."

"Accepted."

"To you too," he said. Another silence, before Percy picked it back up. "When I was falling down into Tartarus, I honestly thought things would absolutely fall apart without me. Call me an egotist, but with the shit we'd already seen…gods, I thought you'd all be slaughtered. Even with Luke there, just…anyway, you can imagine my surprise when you showed up at the Doors, all alive."

"Yeah well, we were basically held together by duct tape and nothing else. Leo was going through a lot and was being insubordinate, Piper had a big past scar be brought up, literally, Bianca was super weak, and Luke was dealing with Kronos, and…then there was me."

"I guess you picked up the slack. Good on you."

"I wish I could say I did," Jason said. "I wish I could say I really took charge and led them through it all…but I'm no liar. I was a coward. I nearly conceded control of the quest to Leo. Gods know he's capable, but not in terms of leadership, not yet. Piper didn't trust me enough to have me help her work through her problems. Not all of that was from my recent weakness, but either way, thank the gods that Luke was there to help her. Bianca…I never got to an understanding with Bianca, I don't think."

"There's not much to understand," Percy claimed.

"I wouldn't be so sure…if you can credit anyone for helping us get to the Doors, it's Luke."

"Yeah, he was something else," Percy agreed. "…Once this is over, I'll make sure the gods send him to Elysium."

"You really think they'll let him, with all he's done?"

"I'm not going to give them a choice," Percy said, his tone final.

"…You're still bitter about the gods, aren't you?" Jason asked, somewhat tactlessly. Percy turned to look at him, eyes hard. "Of course you are; that was a stupid question…" the son of Jupiter chided himself.

For a second, it looked like Percy might snap at him. If this was before Rome, he almost certainly would've, and gone on an extended and angry rant about why he couldn't trust the gods…but now…it didn't seem worth it. That wasn't to say Jason's understanding wasn't worth it, but Percy simply no longer had the energy to rant in such a way. Instead, he sighed, and got that sad look on his face again.

"…I'll never escape this bitter feeling," he said. "It'll be with me for the rest of my life, and then for all eternity in the Underworld."

"Have the gods wronged you so?" Jason wondered. Percy crossed his arms.

"…The gods have taken away almost everyone I've ever loved. For those that they haven't taken, I'm forced to work and fight to where I hardly have any time to spend with them. Not to mention, this is the second war they've put me in the center of."

Jason nodded. "Sounds bad," was all he could say on that. "But…allow me a counterargument; you may blame the gods for taking away those dearest to you but it's the gods' world that's introduced you to those people in the first place?"

"So what? Does that give them to right to-"

"It doesn't justify your loss, Percy. I'm saying what's true. What you've gone through is…horrible. No person should have to suffer as much as you have."

Percy took a shaky breath; he'd nearly ranted, like he said he wouldn't. It was better that Jason stopped him, before he had another complete mental breakdown. The thought of so thoroughly losing control again terrified him, shook him to his very core. "…Did you mean it?" he asked finally, voice quiet, barely above a whisper. "When you said that I don't have to be alone anymore?"

"…Of course I did; every word."

Another shaky breath. "…I've been trapped for so long, Jason."

"Trapped where?"

"…Inside of myself. Not even Annabeth…" he hesitated, shedding tears as he admitted it. "Not even Annabeth can understand the weight on my shoulders; the lives of the entire world resting on me. I just…I couldn't handle it…I became so…consumed in bitterness and rage…I lost sight of everything I ever cared about…"

"…"

"…But you're different. Gods, but I wish I was like you…I was the last choice to be the hero of the Great Prophecy. First it was your sister, and she refused. Then it was Bianca, but she was freed too late to be the hero. I was never meant for that role; I'm a failure. I constantly let people down, I let people die, I…" he took in a breath. "I was just the hero by circumstance…but you're different," he repeated. "You're a hero by choice. You _wanted_ to be a hero, from the start, from even before you came to Camp Half-Blood. You wanted to rise through the ranks and serve as an example to everyone around you; a beacon of light to lead Camp Jupiter into a new golden age of prosperity. And even now, with that plan hinging on a Kabayashi Maru, you stand taller than anyone else here."

"You're forgetting about the part where I almost doomed us all multiple times."

"But you didn't," Percy said. "In the end, you pulled through, and in spades. You spear-headed an assault on the House of Hades and closed the Doors of Death. You went down and took back the Underworld from the Giants, and then launched an assault on their stronghold to rescue us and stop their plans in one fell swoop, and you goddamn pulled it off."

Jason chuckled. "But I wasn't alone, in any of that. If I was, then I would've failed," he reminded the Titan Slayer. "Just like you're not alone anymore. I understand that weight you were talking about. I feel it every day, but…I feel like I can handle it, with a little help and support. From you, from the other Greeks, from Reyna and the Centurions, and the Legion and all of the people in New Rome."

"…then I guess that's where we differ most," Percy said. "I carry the torch alone."

"Not anymore."

"Different torch," Percy claimed.

"Different color fire," Jason argued. "You hold green and I hold blue, but it's the same torch. The weight of the world, right? Percy…what are you going to do once this is all over?"

The son of Poseidon blinked, not expecting the question. "I…well, are you asking what I _want_ to do, or what I'm actually going to do?"

"What do you want?"

Percy thought about it. "…I want to spend the rest of my life in peace, with Annabeth and Lucy. I want to help train the next generation of demigods. I want to protect them for as long as I can."

Jason took a deep breath. "…Among everything else, after this is over, one of my top priorities is going to be to make sure you can do that."

"…"

"I'm waiting for the 'you couldn't _possibly_ do that, and tend to all of your other responsibilities' bit."

"Well, prepare to be disappointed," Percy returned. "You…" he shrugged, and turned away. He didn't want to heap too much praise on the son of Jupiter, not before he saw for himself what things would be like. "You're a multi-tasker," was all he said on it.

"Ditto," Jason said. "So if the gods ask you to do something that you don't want to do, just come to me, alright?"

"Fine, I'll give you the 'divine toilet cleaning' jobs," he quipped, bringing a chuckle to them. "And actually…I've been thinking…I might just want to do what they say, you know?"

"But…you said-"

"I know what I said…gods, this is going to sound so pedantic…I got really bored after the Titan War. Like _really_ bored. Something I've kind of realized through this adventure is that I _love_ fighting. Well, okay; I already knew that. But gods! I love it! I couldn't go a day in my life without it anymore. If I go too long without a good fight, I get a craving. I get impulsive, I get reckless, I itch for a challenge," Percy took a deep breath. "That's…that's what happened with Chrysaor; I could've gone all-out from the beginning but I didn't…and you saw how that turned out…"

Jason nodded. "We all have our vices."

"Except you."

"No," Jason said, somewhat defensive. Percy turned to him skeptically. "I mean, you may like to fight, but gods, when I tell someone to do something and then they go do it immediately. I feel like a god!"

"Uh-huh…well, you're gonna still hate me then, because I'm not gonna do that."

"I wasn't going to ask you to," Jason claimed, bringing him another skeptical look. "Percy, you're a Greek, the leader of the Greeks. What makes you think I can order you around outside of this quest?"

Percy shrugged. "Leader of the Greeks…pft, sure. With us at the helms, the Romans will catch up in no time…"

" _There he goes again, putting himself down,"_ Jason thought, though knew he couldn't say it since Percy might snap at him because of it. Instead, he tried a more subtle approach. "Well, I don't know about that…the Greeks got pretty far with you at the top already."

"I was the best in a bad situation."

"True; doesn't mean you weren't the best."

"…Gods, that's not fair," the son of Poseidon muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," Percy said.

"What's not fair?"

"That you're so goddamn perfect. It really pisses people off, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that. It's not something I can turn off, okay?"

Percy looked him up and down. "…At least now you have some vanity I can mock. Before, you had nothing."

"Hey, look, I can do a lot of things. I can do a lot of things that you can't, but that goes both ways, Percy."

"Really? Name one thing."

"Well, how about that I can't inspire people?"

"Oh come on, you…you can…" Percy didn't finish.

"Reyna is the one who inspires the Legion. She can't face these extinction-level threats on her own, but she can rally together the power of every Roman able to fight if she'd just try, and I just…never could. I try to do what she does, and it doesn't work, for some reason, but you…gods, we were about to give up against Typhon, and you stood up and just said 'no, we're going to finish this' and that was more than enough to motivate us to do so. Percy, you may think that you're not strong enough, but that's only if you rely on your swords. Your voice is your strongest weapon. What good is a sword when you have the ability to rally a thousand?" Jason offered. It might have been his imagination, but at the speech, he thought he saw Percy go red, just a bit. "Because I don't know about you, but I would kill to have that power."

"…Like I said; too perfect."

"Yeah, okay, maybe a little too perfect…"

The two were quiet again, for just a moment. During this time, Jason had noticed that while Percy held himself pretty much the same, Jason himself was finding his posture to be much more relaxed than what he took at the beginning of the conversation, or even what he'd take with the other demigods, and especially what he'd take with the Legion. The only person he could think of that he was this relaxed around was Reyna. That wasn't to say he was attracted to Percy in the same way; quite the contrary, Jason was straight, and even if he wasn't, Percy was kind of ghoulish in appearance to the Roman. Rather, it felt like the connection between good friends. Jason longed for the day when he could say that about Percy. " _In time_ ," he reminded himself hopefully.

"You want to know what I think is one of the biggest differences between us?" Percy wondered.

"What?"

"You may not be able to inspire people, but…" Percy hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Back during the Titan War…we lost a lot of good friends. But we stood up and kept fighting. The thing is we kept fighting _in spite_ of their deaths. But from everything I hear, and from what I've seen from you and the feelings of hope and strength that you've instilled in me despite all that's happened…you fight _because_ of your losses. Whereas I eventually get up and think 'I can't let them have died in vain', you get up and say 'they would have wanted me to keep fighting.' Because they inspire you."

"…"

"…Annabeth told me about what happened, with Tempus."

"When?"

"On the way here," Percy admitted.

"Really? Huh…why the sudden interest?"

Percy turned away, recalling Envy's true form, and also how she avoided using it when Jason was near. That _could've_ been that she wished to converse, and couldn't do that in her natural form, but Percy couldn't be sure, and thus didn't want to share a potential secret. "I…I can't say," he said. "A-anyway, what happened…that's a tough deal."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Jason said, almost like he were empathizing about stubbing a toe, not losing a close friend. Percy shot him an odd look. "You don't have to dance around what happened, Percy. I've come to terms with it."

The son of Poseidon nodded, but still spoke cautiously. Jason figured it was understandable, given the man's own aversion to loss. "Well, when it happened…what did you do?"

"Well…" Jason thought back. "After we were attacked, we held a war meeting with all of the Centurions and Senators. It took some convincing from Reyna, but there was unanimous decision for a counterattack. So…we went and did that."

"I know that. What were you feeling, though?"

"Gods, you sound like a really crappy therapist," Jason smirked, though Percy maintained his attentive stare. "Well…Immediately following the battle…well, let's call it what it was; a massacre. Immediately after, I didn't really feel anything, just kind of an empty void. The result was far from a victory. It technically wasn't a defeat; we repelled the attackers, but the cost was so high that, at best, it was a pyrrhic victory, which I don't think either of us would prefer to even a dead loss where everyone survived. But when Reyna was arguing for a counterattack, when she was trying to rally us together…she actually used a lot of a language that you used just now. She said that Tempus and the others who died wouldn't have wanted us to weep and cry, they would've wanted us to fight and avenge their deaths. She said that the Legion doesn't stand for such a blatant insult to our comrades, and that the only thing the Titans did was stir up the wrath of Rome, and that they were about to feel its full fury. She was…passionate, to say the least."

"And it worked?"

"Oh, in spades," Jason nodded. "We went up there a kicked hide…or at least, that's what they tell me."

"White-out?"

"White-out," Jason confirmed. "Full Hulk-monster rampage on Krios. Apparently, I _didn't_ kill him, so…I guess I held back a little bit."

"Hm…"

"What's up?"

"Just, on the subject of Titans, I was wondering what happened to Prometheus."

"You met Prometheus? Isn't he on the god's side?"

"Well…kind of? He's mostly just a prick. He had me free him, since he repeated his fire stealing with electricity and was imprisoned. Then he went to fight with Kronos. Though…I guess what happened was that he saw the future and saw that I was going to make a terrible decision to try and wipe out the Titan army early, that was doomed to fail. So…again, this is just a theory since I obviously can't ask him, I think he made it so he was going to be the leader at that battle so he could trick them and ensure our escape…I think…"

"That all sounds…needlessly complicated."

"I still don't get it…anyway, I never saw him after that and no one ever mentioned him. My guess is that he was used to hold up the sky, since they freed Atlas somehow and I killed his rocky ass. But I don't know."

"I don't know either. Weird…I didn't see him on Mount Orthys, but they may have been hiding him or something."

"Maybe…oh well, it doesn't really matter."

"I suppose…so, can I pose a question?"

"Shoot."

"What are you gonna do about your daughter?"

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, like, do you even know how to be a parent?"

"I don't have the faintest idea," Percy admitted. "We were just going to wing it," he said, to which Jason gave him an incredulous look. "What? It's what we do with everything else."

Jason shook his head and lightly scoffed. "Whatever works, I guess…"

"You want the truth? I'm terrified. I don't have a clue how I'm supposed to be a parent. I haven't exactly had the best track record when it comes to dads, you know."

"I'm sure…just…well, I'd say be yourself, but you're kind of a blood-crazed war-monster-type guy, so…be the opposite of that, and you'll be fine."

"Okay, I'll do exactly that. When she goes to therapy, you're paying."

"Dude, I'm not even going to pay for food if you guys visit. In fact, I'm going to charge you for a room."

"Okay, so you're vain _and_ you're greedy. We should talk more often; it gives me ammo," Percy smirked.

"Actually, on that…" Jason looked up, considering how he was going to say this. "I actually think we _should_ talk more often, hang out more often too."

"…Um…"

"No, I'm not confessing my love to you," Jason said preemptively.

"Then continue," Percy said.

"It would be good for a Greek and Roman leader to become at least somewhat close. That's the most barebones reason I say that. Another would be that, even if you don't want to talk or we have nothing to talk about, we could spar. Because I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever pushed myself as much as I have in trying to not only catch up to you, but compete with you."

"Same here; I guess having a rival is good for progress," Percy agreed.

"And…" Jason took a deep breath. "I want to understand you, Percy. Right now, I don't have the faintest clue about how or why you are who you are, and I want to know. You can call me needy or weird all you want, but I have _never_ met a more…" Jason hesitated, making Percy think he was going to compliment him. "Aggravating, infuriating man in my entire life."

"That…didn't go exactly where I thought it would," Percy mentioned.

"But the thing is that I think that's my fault. Because I don't think that's how you are, but it's how _I_ perceived you as. Does that make sense?"

"I…y-yeah, it does, but…slow down, hot shot. Let's focus on getting through this war, yeah?"

"Percy, suppose we do that. Suppose we don't think about anything but the war. What happens when we win? We go home and we have no plan. We go home and everything becomes chaotic for too long and then something else might come up and we might not be prepared. That's what happened at Camp Half-Blood; you weren't thinking about after the Titans and allowed the cabins to start to hate each other without stopping it early. You saw how that turned out."

"I suppose…" Percy craned his neck. "But…that's not really my forte, if you know what I mean."

"It may not be," Jason admitted. "But you can learn."

"And who's gonna teach me, you?"

"If I have to, yes."

"And what's the opposite of 'humble'?"

"Proud?"

"Alright, add it to the list of your ever-increasing weaknesses," Percy smirked. "Fine…honestly, I was thinking at first that we would fight the Giants together and then just leave each other alone."

"You know, so was I," Jason agreed. "But the more I thought about it…"

"And the more things escalated…the more that seemed like that wasn't going to happen," Percy finished, nodding. "For all we know, the camps will just constantly feud with each other."

"They won't," Jason assured. "Because _we_ won't let them."

"Gods, I wish I had your self-assurance," the son of Poseidon muttered. "Okay, idea; the gods are probably going to offer us a reward for helping them. I think one of us should ask for a teleporter."

"Like…how?"

"A teleporter that can link both camps together. So instead of days or weeks to travel between them, in monster-infested lands, we could just beam over in an instant."

Jason nodded. "I…actually didn't think of that. That's a _really_ good idea."

"Well, _you've_ never been rewarded by the gods," Percy said, to which Jason nodded again. "Of course, then the necessity to keep them from fighting is all the more…what's the word?"

"Pertinent."

"Yeah, that."

"Agreed," Jason crossed his arms. "…Maybe we could do some joint training exercises. Us Romans need to catch up to the Greeks; maybe we could start by swapping battle tactics. Greeks could train in individual fighting techniques, and Romans could teach in formations and working as a unit," he suggested. "Maybe we could do something where we alternate war games and Capture-The-Flag as well, with both camps participating in both."

"War games for siege practice and CTF for army-to-army."

"Exactly. Bump up the scale of both games and both parties gets a taste of real battle."

"I like it," Percy said. "…Idea, and you might not like it. I think we should give all demigods the choice of where they want to live."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…what if a Roman doesn't like the rigid structure of the Legion? What if a Greek wants a more focused path and a year-round experience? I think that option should be open, and not based on birth."

"But wouldn't that dilute our differences?"

"Isn't that the point?" Percy wondered. "And it's not like the differences would go away; they're _literally_ hard-wired into our blood. I mean, it would take time, but…I don't know, it seems like it could work, at least in my head…"

"…" Jason crossed his arms, and tried to think about what kind of world this would have to be for that to work. Admittedly, Jason was going off of the paradigm where the two sides inherently don't trust each other, as the effects of the Parthenos have yet to be fully determined. "…Let's see how things play out. See how things work without it. If everything is good, I'd be up for a trial run, maybe send a willing group to integrate for a while and see how things go."

Percy took a deep breath and nodded. "Compromise, sure," he agreed. "So…is that enough future planning for you?"

"It's…a start."

"A start? What constitutes a 'finish' for you?"

"When I die. That's when the work is done," Jason said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, well…make sure it doesn't happen anytime soon, or I'll lose it and murder everyone."

"Thank you for telling me that, Percy," Jason said sarcastically. "Now I know that the fate of the world rests on my shoulders from both the Giants _and_ from you."

"Glad I could help," Percy said, not even missing a beat. The two exchanged a glance, before they both laughed. "Gods…is this happening? This has got to be some weird fever dream or something."

"What do you mean?"

"You and me, sitting down and having a conversation without wanting to kill each other. Since the day I met you, I didn't think it'd be possible."

"Same here," Jason said, standing. Percy stood as well. "I hope to do this again, soon."

"Agreed."

Jason held out a hand. "Friends?" he asked. Percy looked at his hand for a minute. Instead of taking it, he brought Jason into an embrace.

"Friends," he agreed, separating. After a few more words, Percy departed. On his way to Annabeth, he passed Bianca, who'd watched the tail-end of their exchanged. She was grinning.

"And thus the bromance was born," she teased.

"Piss off, Firefly," Percy said, again, not missing a beat. Though, he shared her grin, and his beamed brighter.

xxxXXXxxx

Leo awoke peacefully, all things considered. His dream was vivid, but also forgettable, in that he forgot basically everything about it almost immediately. Honestly, he was kind of hoping for a message from his father, perhaps weighing judgement on Leo's handling of Envy, but he was given no such privilege. He supposed it was to be expected, given that, by now, the gods must be really ramping up for their climactic battle with the Giants.

He hefted himself to sit, seeing the embers of a fire that he'd lit before he'd crashed. Across from it, he saw Envy, in her natural form, curled up with her knees to her chest. She was staring intently at the dying fire, with no attention paid to Leo.

Despite himself, he stared at her for a while. He didn't know why he did. While she was attractive, Leo felt nothing of that sort toward her, for many reasons. Still, his gaze remained unbroken, as he took in every inch, trying to imprint this form into his memory. For one, he didn't know when he was going to see it again.

Suddenly, though, her form changed, to Reyna's. "I'm sorry if I repulse you," she said. Leo blinked, not realizing that Envy had thought that was why he was staring.

"N-no, I don't, uh…" he sat up, and relit the fire. He noticed that Envy's eyes never left where they'd been resting since he awoke. "So, uh…do you ever have to sleep, or…?"

Envy ignored the question. Instead, she let out a dry, humorless chuckle. It even _sounded_ fake, like she was trying to imitate how someone might give a humorless chuckle before lamenting about something deep. "But how would you not find me repulsive?"

"…"

"We are alone. You do not have to act the part of the noble hero anymore," she said.

"…"

Envy waited for Leo to respond, but he couldn't find the words. He wanted to say that of _course_ he didn't find her repulsive. Of course he wasn't acting. Of course he wanted to help her. But those would've been lies. So, he did as he did; he joked. "Well, my conscience is still here; it's pretty critical," he said, offering a smile. Envy simply stared at him, form shifting to Piper. "Okay…you want the truth?" she nodded. "You can call me two-faced all you want, but the fact is that I can't go around saying that I hate you. You can believe me or not, but I'm just going to keep trying to help you, even if I may not want to."

Envy changed to Annabeth. "You consider yourself a martyr?" she guessed. "Consigning yourself to deal with the beast in place of the others? I wonder if that's because you consider yourself the one with the clearest moral compass, or perhaps it's because you consider yourself the one who can contribute the least of the group, and so you left."

"…"

"Or perhaps this is personal? I imagine you will enjoying watching the Legion or the Greek execute me for my contributions toward their destruction, and thus you wanted to see me there, and then watch the event happen with your own eyes."

"…"

Leo chose not to answer any of her questions. If he did, either an argument would follow, or Envy would retreat into herself, as he suspected she might if she was as psychologically fragile as her memories told him she was. It turned out to be the right move, as in seeing that her words didn't particularly affect the boy, Envy took to thinking, her form shifting to Annabeth. "…I have not spoken so much in ages," she realized. "I was not allowed to speak as Envy. My God…Pride…he knew what had been done and what hadn't, so I wasn't even required to give updates."

"He knew how influential you could be," Leo said. Envy nodded.

"He took…everything from me…now that I…" she hesitated, being understandably reticent about soliloquizing so much, after her life in bondage under Pride. Envy took a shaky breath, form changing to Reyna. "Now that I remember who Tempus was…I struggle to understand who _I_ am. I don't know how to act, I don't know how to speak, or emote, or do much of anything. I suppose it could be surmised that that outburst of accusatory statements is a byproduct of my mind trying to piece itself back together. It remembers that Tempus was sharp-minded and critical, but perhaps forgot that she didn't go around presuming to know about the inner workings of other people. In that regard, she was quite lacking," a sad laugh came from the Giant, fading quickly.

"…You still don't think of yourself as Tempus?" Leo wondered. Envy shook her head, form changing to Piper.

"I don't think I ever will again. And I do not wish to. Tempus' life was fulfilled, yet ended in tragedy. That can't be changed by anything or anyone. Even if I took the name, Tempus, I would not be her. Though…by that logic, I am not Envy anymore either. The agent of Pride is no more. Instead, perhaps I am Nameless."

"…I'm not calling you that," Leo said.

"…" Envy still hadn't moved her gaze away from the fire, the amber light flickering in Piper's kaleidoscope eyes. "I do not have a form to call my own anymore. Why, then, should I have a name to call my own?" she questioned. It didn't take Leo more than a few seconds to answer.

"I mean, unless your whole brain chemistry changes every time you morph, I'd say you're still a single person in there," he said. "And a person deserves a name."

Envy's form changed to her original one, eyes flickering with doubt. She held that form for only a few seconds, before changing once to Percy, bringing a frown to Leo's face, and then quickly changing to Reyna's again. Leo was beginning to notice a pattern of her recent form shifts; Reyna for "guarded/scared", Annabeth for "questioning/thinking", Piper for "emotional/sad". Her own form seemed to be used when Leo caught her off-guard, or when she wasn't thinking much at all about her form.

"…And what would you call me, other than a monster?"

"I wouldn't call you a monster," Leo said. He was kind of hoping Envy would say 'not out loud', if for no other reason than that it would've made her seem a little more normal, but she didn't respond. "…Well, what do _you_ want to be called?"

I want…to be called…" she struggled out the words, one at a time. Finally, she closed her eyes. "…Tammy. Just Tammy."

Leo clapped, slightly startling the Giant and causing her eyes to shoot open. "Done deal," he said. Envy, or rather, Tammy nodded, and then found tears welling up in her eyes. She raised her hands to wipe them away, but not before a few fell. During this, she changed to Piper.

"…I…forgot what it was like to choose something like that…"

Leo was about to ask the extremely tactful question of, "you've chosen names before?" but didn't. After a second of thinking, he realized that she meant a choice with meaning. Granted, she'd technically chosen to join them, but in the moment it was presented to her as more of an ultimatum. It was either she joined them, or sit there as they went off and likely be killed by Pride for disobeying him, because he would've killed them had she not helped.

The son of Hephaestus waited for Envy to regain her composure. "…You remind me a lot of Tempus' friend, Zack."

"Really?" Leo vaguely felt an impression of the man. The memory had passed by so quickly that Leo could hardly recall it. "How so?"

"You could both shoot fire from your hands," she said. "And you were both really stupid sometimes."

"Oh, that…went in a different direction than I was expecting…" Leo said.

"The thing is…gods, but Tempus lost so much…I believe if she could have one thing back, it would've been him. If she could do one thing over, it would be that fateful day when she laid eyes on the Parthenos. Zack was there, with her. She…she killed him, in cold blood," Leo inwardly shuddered at that. Tammy knew what he was assuming, as his body began to heat up. "No, I won't kill you."

"…You sure?"

"Do you want me to?" she wondered, and Leo turned to her, expecting a look of…actually, he didn't know what he was expecting. It sounded like a kind of twisted joke, but the way she said it, and the dead-serious expression on her face was unmistakably genuine.

"Uh…" Leo had no words to respond to that.

"Were you…um…" it seemed that Tammy didn't either.

"Uh, yeah…I was…kidding…" Leo scratched the back of his head. Leo hoped that Tammy was realizing that she had a long way to go before she readjusted to normal conversation. She was so flustered at her botched attempt that she'd reverted to her original form. "Actually, I was thinking," he said. "Maybe you should, uh…stay like that for a while?" she blankly stared at him. "Not that I want you to stop talking, it's just I want you to, uh…do what feels natural, you know?"

In response, Tammy immediately changed to Annabeth. "I think going to Camp Jupiter in my natural form would cause uproar. I also think, I tandem with that thought, that they should pass judgement without the bias they might have towards that form. Perhaps we can try again at your Camp Half-Blood."

Leo blinked. "Camp Jupi…oh, right," he'd completely forgotten about that. "Speaking of, we should get moving. Sorry, I just…completely spaced out," they both stood, and Leo stomped out the fire. "How far are we?" he wondered.

It turned out, not far. The two made it out of the Labyrinth within about half an hour, and from there, there was a small trek to the entrance on the highway. Things seemed off almost immediately, with scorch marks leading down the entrance. "Are these…normal?" Leo wondered, to which Tammy shook her head.

A little further down, they began to smell the smoke, and once they emerged out, to see New Rome in all of its glory, the first thing they noticed about it was that it was on fire.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So I just stayed up all night to finish writing this damn project, and then fell asleep and ignored my daily responsibilities because I was so mentally exhausted from the endeavor. I set four fucking alarms to get up before noon, and had my father physically wake me up, and nothing worked. Now it's 2:30, and I'm slightly peeved.**

 **That said, I'm fucking done! I'm done writing this damn fic and am done with the PJO world as a whole for the foreseeable future! I'll have stupid sentimental (it's been quite the journey) crap to say during the finale, so for now I'll just say that, despite major writer's block for basically the entire last adaptation, I'm happy with how it turned out, and I hope you guys will be happy with it too.**

 **For now, this chapter is technically what everything's been leading up to in terms of character, at least for Percy and Jason, as they finally see eye-to-eye. I would have more to say in terms of explanation, but honestly, I'm still too fucking tired, so I'll trust your judgement and let it be.**

 **So, before I go on even more of an exhausted rant/ramble, I'll leave. See you tomorrow!**


	72. Let The End Come

"No way…" Reyna looked on from the edge of the valley, as shocked awe and fear coursed through the three returning cohorts.

"It's…happening again…all over again…" Octavian lamented. Reyna couldn't even speak, couldn't move, couldn't hardly breathe.

"Is it…the Greeks?" Hazel wondered, sounding guilty for being the one to bring it up. Reyna shook her head.

"No, it's…something worse…" she said, sensing that paralyzing fear she felt whenever she looked out across a cavernous gap in power.

They heard his cackles coming from all the way through the valley, as well as the screams of both panic and desperation as the two remaining cohorts plus the Amazons were fighting to maintain some semblance of a footing against this threat. But it wasn't holding.

New Rome burned once again.

Reyna might have stood there forever, watching as her whole life crumbled away in front of her, as the trauma of the Titan attack came rushing back, but then something appeared. A figure appeared in the sky, shooting out flames of their own, as he dove down to fight. Somehow, Reyna could tell that it wasn't the attacker, nor were they on the attacker's side.

Part of the city soon became engulfed in an explosion, before the figure was sent flying toward the Romans. He crashed into the ground, with the impact barely cushioned by his shooting fire downwards to slow himself. Still, immediately upon stopping, even with several wounds already, the boy stood; this little impish boy that had no business fighting this fight. He stood, and he shot himself back into the fray.

Reyna blinked, and then the first stirrings of courage welled up inside her.

xxxXXXxxx

"Let the end come," Jason said to himself as he stood alongside the others on top of the mountain island, waiting for the Giants to come. "Let it arrive and allow me my glory in victory…per angusta ad augusta."

The son of Jupiter looked around at the others, all tense, quiet, somber. Out of all of them, Percy seemed to best, but was at most neutral. The end times had arrived, and Jason guessed that the others assumed that they would all perish in this battle. He couldn't blame them.

During the wait, Percy expressed a feeling a loss, one that Bianca reciprocated, only she felt it when her father had perished. The conclusion they came to was that Poseidon's domain had fallen, just as Hades' had. That meant that the other one of the Big Three left was Zeus/Jupiter.

Given that, Jason couldn't exactly blame them for their despair. Truthfully, what he really wanted to do right then was to crawl into a cave and hide away. If he had his choice, Jason wouldn't be standing on this mountaintop on a suicide mission, but he was. He was there because there was no one else who could stand in his place.

Or rather, perhaps more pertinently, there was no one else that was willing to.

And despite their fear, despite their despair, Jason wouldn't have anybody else standing beside him. They may not all be the strongest demigods in the world, but they were there for him and they alone are responsible for Jason making it even this far. Assuming they survived, he'd throw them the biggest party that New Rome could offer, and whatever else they wanted.

Jason closed his eyes and took a deep breath. " _You're thinking too much,"_ he chided himself, feeling a breeze roll in and the sun finished setting. " _You need to relax and just let go of these problems, at least for now. You don't need to be worrying about Reyna, or New Rome, or after the war. Just this fight; that's all that should be on your mind."_

Jason opened his eyes and swallowed. His throat felt fight. Jason blinked one more time, and then he was there.

The son of Jupiter was surprised that Pride didn't go for a big flashy entrance, befitting of his ego. Though Jason suspected that that would've somehow been worse than the strongest immortal barring the Protogenoi just appearing suddenly in front of them.

He floated still in mid-air, eyes bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept since they saw him last (immortals don't necessarily need sleep but whatever). Jason didn't know which was scarier, though; that he was expecting Pride to immediately attack in a frenzy over his previous loss, or that he didn't, and was acting as cocky as ever.

"You all look well," Pride said, raising his chin. "Good; I enjoy a challenge."

"You really think you can take all of us on at once?" Percy questioned.

"I would not embody my namesake if I didn't," the Giant noted, smirking.

"Please; I could rip you to shreds myself," the son of Poseidon tried goading him into attacking. It didn't work; the empty threat was seen through immediately.

"You are all so…" he trailed off. "Predictable…"

"Yeah, I'm sure you thought that when we whupped your ass at Mt. Olympus!" Annabeth called. Pride smiled at that, and then began laughing, as if they didn't get a joke.

The Giant held a hand out toward them, with the demigods all preparing like he was about to attack. Instead of some form of blast, however, an Iris-Message formed, without a drachma and without calling Iris herself.

The image formed quickly, and what it showed was horrifying. The scene depicted Camp Half-blood, only everything was in pieces. The Big House had been completely demolished, as had the arena. Even some of the cabins were at least partially demolished, likely saved a fully collapse by the gods' wills alone. Campers were scattered, some figuratively, and some…literally. The grass held a red tinge in areas, and the demigods saw some…parts…strewn about.

"But…how…I thought…" Annabeth muttered. Percy glared at Jason. For the briefest of moments, Jason thought he might attack.

"The Romans?" he questioned, likely asking if the siege and Scorched Earth-type tactics were Roman. Jason shook his head.

"They went back to New Rome," Jason assured. "Even if they would attack, it'd be a trick by Pride, just like last time."

Percy nodded, and turned back to the Giant. "If you're trying to get us to fight, you're not doing a very good job."

Pride ignored the son of Poseidon, and continued showing the image and letting it play out. The scene shifted to show the actual battle, and the first things they saw were flashes of golden light. "Go!" they heard Winona cry to the retreating campers. "Get out of here while you can!"

Whatever was attacking the camp clearly had the upper hand in the fight, easily weaving around Winona's sunlight arrows. As she was guarding a group of younger campers, she was blasted away, hitting a tree back-first, before falling to the ground.

Jason felt the air grow colder as this happened. He turned to Bianca, whose shadows were seeping out as she witnessed the attack. "Hey, B…calm down…"

Percy noticed her anger as well, and put a hand on her shoulder. Her shadows swatted it away. "Bianca…"

Winona tried to get up, it seemed, but was landed on by the attacker, a man wearing a posh-looking suit, with the face of a trickster. "Greed…" Annabeth muttered, as they watched him kicked Apollo's successor through several tree trunks. Winona put her hands underneath her, but seemed to lack the strength to get up, and soon dropped to the ground, unconscious. Greed approached to deal the finishing blow, eliminating another Olympian.

"Bianca," Jason said the girl's name, seeing her shadows becoming more and more flowing yet erratic. "Bianca, focus. The fight is here."

At those words, her shadows swatted Jason's face, as if it insulted her. The daughter of Hades tensed her body as she stepped forward. "My friend needs my help!" she exclaimed before becoming engulfed in her shadows.

"No, Bianca, we need you here!" Jason cried, but it was too late. Bianca was gone. Pride had dissipated the Iris-Message after he saw her leave, so they didn't get to see what happened.

"It's fine,' Percy claimed. "We can still take him, just like with Lust."

"Oh, I've no doubt you all can hold your own for at least a brief period against me. However, you aren't _just_ going to be fighting me," he said, as the ground began to rumble. The Giant gestured out to sea, where the waves were parting.

"Percy…are you…?" Jason didn't have to finish; of _course_ he wasn't doing that. The odd part about it was that it didn't seem like it was the doing of whoever was coming out of the water. Instead, Pride was doing it, and it wasn't like he had to do it for long.

A new threat emerged from the waves, rising and standing on the water's surface. It stopped, exerted its power, which could be felt from all the way at the top, and roared. The sound sent a chill down Jason's spine, as well as Piper's, because they recognized it. "Wrath…" the son of Jupiter muttered, remembering the thrashing they'd received from this thing during their encounter. Truthfully, he was surprised any of them had survived it.

"I say, _Titan Slayer_ ," Pride said the title with a pacing of poison. "You were supposed to protect the gods, weren't you? Isn't that what you promised them?"

Percy grit his teeth, grip tightening around Riptide's hilt. "Percy…there was nothing you could've done," Jason tried to calm him down.

"How many Olympians have we killed? Well, there's the wine god, in Rome, when you ran away to save your precious one. I would have made the same choice," he said, which didn't help. "There's the god of the Underworld, killed right under your nose as you lounged about your camp, idly waiting for your transport. Soon, the sun god will be well and truly dead, as you perish as well. Am I forgetting one? Oh yes; the sea god, whom you had only recently come to an understanding with, killed while you were off playing hero, tsk, tsk, tsk…a shame, really…"

"Shut up!" Percy snapped.

"Percy, listen; it wasn't your fault," Annabeth said, realizing what Pride was trying to do.

"Well, vengeful one, you have your target," Pride nodded to Wrath. "Of course, if you don't fight him, go straight through you, and then move on to your precious Greek friends…well, whoever Greed doesn't kill before he gets there, in any case."

The son of Poseidon was shaking at this point, his rage barely contained.

"Percy!" Jason called his name, trying to shake him out of his funk. "He's playing on all of the worst parts of you, can't you see that?! You don't have to be the slave of your guilt, Percy. You've already taken the first steps toward peace, you've already made your choice in this; don't turn your back to it, please!"

Percy's shaking stopped. It stopped so suddenly that the calm that came after was almost disturbing. He looked at Jason briefly, and then at Annabeth. "I'm not going to fight that thing to get revenge," he said, though to who, they weren't sure at first. Pride raised an eyebrow, frowning for the first time since his arrival. "You're right, Jason. I've made my choice," he said. The son of Jupiter would've let out a sigh of relief, had Percy not immediately leapt off of the mountaintop toward Wrath. "And my choice was to protect Annabeth at all costs!"

Percy slid down the mountainside to meet the Giant, who watched with a strange, blind, kind of intrigue. Percy drew Oathkeeper, slit a cut up his arm, and drew the power from it into a ball. By the time he made it to the bottom, he'd gathered even more power than what he'd used to block Jason's lightning back at Rome. He skidded himself to a halt and threw the ball with all of his power, the force of the throw sending visible shockwaves through the air.

Wrath didn't react more than it had to. It raised a hand to the approaching attack, and then caught it. With one hand. Percy's eyes widened in both shock and fear as Wrath then crushed the ball in his hand, and then glare at Percy. It was then that the son of Poseidon knew that this Giant was nothing like anything he'd ever faced before, or would ever face after.

It was a monster, plain and simple.

xxxXXXxxx

Bianca arrived at camp just in time to wrap Greed up in her shadows and throw him away, right before he could crush Winona's head. The girl was still unconscious, leaving Bianca to deal with the Giant. The man immediately noted the daughter of Hades' appearance, and stood to greet her, bowing his head he did.

"A pleasure," he said, walking calmly toward Bianca, who had placed herself between Winona and the Giant. "Apologies for our last meeting, madam. Perhaps this time we may-" he stopped as she raised her blade to him. He chuckled. "Surely you don't mean to fight me? You remember what happened the last time?"

"…the others said you could split in half," she said after sizing him up. "And your soul isn't as strong as before. Splitting in half halves your power, doesn't it?"

"Oh, and here I took you for a fool…but…" he dashed forward without finishing. Bianca with her blade, but missed. Greed leaned in close. "That doesn't mean I can't still kill you."

Greed reared back a fist to plunge into the girl's heart, but was knocked away before he could. Bianca hadn't moved, but her shadows were there to protect her. Greed stood straight after the attack, cracked his neck, and smiled. "Oh…now that was uncalled for, madam."

Bianca didn't want to listen to the rest of his spiel, and instead thrust a wave of shadows toward him. The Giant stood there and took the attack head-on, as if it posed no threat to him. It turned out, that was the case exactly. In fact, he'd wanted her to attack him.

The shadows, instead of bombarding Greed with painful lashes and cuts and blasts, were absorbed into him. No matter what angle Bianca used, they melded into him harmlessly, and even approached him when she wasn't meaning to attack.

The force was so strong, in fact, that after a certain point, Bianca shadows actively went toward him, with her fighting against that pull, until all of the shadow that had accumulated around her was gone. The feeling was so foreign to Bianca, so surreal, like the air was forcibly being sucked from her lungs. She nearly collapsed from light-headedness, but managed to stay on her feet.

Perhaps it would've been better to play dead, however, as Greed now commanded the very power that Bianca had. And it looked like he was even better at it than her. Bianca could only try and raise her blade in the face of the approaching onslaught.

In the back of her mind, in the deepest recesses of her heart, Bianca knew that this was the end. And all she could think of was how sorry she was for never making it up to Winona, for all of the times she'd left without a word.

xxxXXXxxx

Immediately after Percy leapt into action, the fight was on. Time stopped for Jason as lightning coursed through his body. Pride was coming, flying at ridiculous speeds. On instinct, Jason shot forward and shoved both Piper and Annabeth out of the way, so they wouldn't come to harm. Unfortunately, this meant that Jason didn't have time to prepare himself for the oncoming attacking, and Pride crashed into the son of Jupiter at full-speed, so hard that they flew right through the mountain.

The mountain itself, as it turned out, was hollow, at least partially. Jason and Pride flew right into a cavern which was housed in its center, completely cutoff from the outside, as their entrance simultaneously blasted an opening into the wall and then closed it back up from rubble.

Jason managed to knock Pride away before he could be dragged further downward, in the Earth's core or something like that. Pride didn't let him even breathe, however, careening back and tackling Jason into the wall, where he let off a blast of water. Jason couldn't switch mentally to his wind fast enough for block it, so he instead plunged a bolt of lightning into the blast's center, forming a narrow tube where it wouldn't hit, which Jason dove through, breaking into a run.

Jason's vision flashed as he jumped in speed to that of lightning itself, letting loose a flying kick, blasting Pride away long enough for the demigod to at least get his bearings.

Jason flipped up his Regalius and drew the spear, using it to slice an incoming fireball in two. Pride stood there after that attack, allowing Jason a bit of time, not only to gain his bearings, but to think. "You goaded the others to leave, why?" he questioned. Pride didn't answer. "If you were smart, you would've brought everything you had to distract us while you tried to take advantage of Gaia falling back asleep. Instead, you attacked me, to fight alone."

"Have you figured it out yet?" Pride questioned, arms sweeping out.

Jason stood up straight, stone-faced even in this dire situation. "…You didn't come to control Gaia, did you?" he questioned. Pride smirked. "Was that ever your plan, or were you leading us on the entire time?"

"Would I have been so furious that you ruined my Feast if it hadn't been my plan?" the Giant questioned. "No, my mother is of no use to me now. I'm not foolish enough to try controlling her again. No, I come for one reason, and one reason alone. I can very easily attempt this particular takeover again. I could do it tomorrow, or a thousand years from now, but it _will_ happen. However…" his eyes lowered into a glare, lips curled into an insane grin. "I can no longer stomach in world which I have to share with the likes of you. I will have your head as a trophy, and your spine as a necklace. Your blasphemy ends today, God Slayer. Now…let your _penance_ begin!"

Jason raised his spear in response, and the two dashed toward each other, locked in glorious battle.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, this is the beginning of the end; the final battle. I'm going to deflate that statement by following it with the fact that I legitimately almost forgot to post this today lol**

 **In any case, don't be put off by the short length; this is the set-up. Also, the final chapter will be 75, with an epilogue making chapter 76. So...yeah, look forward to that.**


	73. Twilight Of The Gods

Reyna and the other Romans stood on the edge of the valley, only able to watch the chaos rage in their city. They heard the screams of the citizens, and desperate yells of the defenders, and the maniacal laughter of the attacker; Greed. Yet, they were frozen.

The daughter of Bellona had felt a warmth stir inside of her at the sight of the Greek son of the forge fighting for them, but it did little to unfreeze her legs. Reyna closed her eyes, begging her mother for strength, begging Lupa for wisdom, begging Jason for courage.

She took a deep breath, and clenched her fists. It was time to inspire. She opened her mouth to speak, only to begin listening. Already, despair crept into the Romans, before they'd even begun to fight.

"It's happening again…"

"The gods have abandoned us…"

"It's hopeless…"

"What can we do against something like that…?"

Reyna looked around, seeing the already defeated faces of the others, including all of her Centurions, and even Octavian. The daughter of Bellona wanted so badly to talk to them, to convince them to fight, to convince them that they do indeed have a chance, but her voice caught, and then she realized that she was just as scared and hopeless as they were.

She just wasn't numb enough to not realize it.

Speechless, she turned back toward the carnage, thinking that she should at least go and protect and rescue the wounded, maybe try and regroup the Amazons and the remaining members of the Legion, but her legs wouldn't move. She bit her lip.

" _Some praetor I am…"_ she thought sullenly, lip beginning to quiver at her uselessness. That was when her guardian angel appeared.

She wasn't sure at first if it was just her imagination, but she saw a figure appear at the edge of the city, unmistakable in her form, wielding the same weapons she'd used that fateful night when Rome had burned.

"Tempus…?" she mumbled, too quiet for anyone to hear. Instantly, a million thoughts sprinted through her brain, about how and why. She was convinced that it was a trick, either induced by the Giant to mess with her or as a defense mechanism for her brain, trying to jump-start her thoughts. Still, if it was that, then it worked.

What the Greek gave in courage, Tempus' appearance gave ten times that, enough to get Reyna's mind working again.

"We need to go down there," she said finally. Those that had been closest to her, the Centurions, looked at her in disbelief.

"And be slaughtered?" Nathan questioned.

"No, not to be slaughtered; to fight."

"Reyna…"

Hazel stepped forward. "W-with all due respect…you _do_ remember what happened last time something like this happened, right? M-maybe we should…cut our losses and-"

"And what, lass?" Reyna turned to her, eyes conveying far more ferocity than she actually felt in that moment. She turned to face the Legion. "Are we going to stand here like a pack of swabbers? Are we going to abandon all of the families down there, the women and children, and our brothers and sisters?"

Uncertain murmurs could be heard from the crowd. Reyna tightened her jaw, seeing that this wasn't getting to them like she'd hoped it would. What she hoped would happen was they would get inspired to fight, and provide her with the necessary gall to fight the Giant that was attacking their city. But that wasn't at all what was happening.

Reyna closed her eyes again, mind grasping at anything to improve their morale, but nothing was coming. She didn't know what to do! Reyna couldn't go down there alone. Even if she didn't immediately freeze up like she always did, she knew she couldn't reasonably take on a Giant by herself. She was cocky, not suicidal, though that statement would become ironic before the end of the day. Gods, but she should go down anyway. That's what Tempus would do, even if she knew she wasn't going to make it…

Reyna opened her eyes. "I'm going, then," she announced, drawing her blade. "If you all are too much of cowards to join me, then I'll stand alone!"

"Reyna!" Octavian grabbed her arm. "You can't, you'll die!"

"Then so be it," she wrestled her arm away, hoping that he didn't hear the pounding of her heart. "Are you willing to see me be torn to pieces as you stand here and do nothing?" she questioned. "Are you willing to watch a praetor march to her death _again_?!"

That particular statement seemed to rouse them a bit.

"…Tempus was my best friend, and I failed her when she needed me," Reyna said. "She may have changed after her quest, and she may have never been the same person we knew and loved, but one thing never changed about her! Tempus loved New Rome and its people, enough to die for them. She was willing to sacrifice herself because she knew it meant something, she knew that she was saving something important. She was willing to sacrifice herself because she saw something in us, something that she had lost, something that only we Romans possess! Yes, we may be cowardly at times. Yes, we are rigid and hesitant to change and controlling…but that isn't all that we are."

"…" Reyna saw their eyes change. Scared, meek, uncertain, and hopeless turned to determined, true, stalwart. Some began bashing their shields in rhythm, slowly stirring up a frenzy of emotion.

"We are Roman, not by blood or by faith, but by works, beliefs; the Roman ideal that we all have devoted ourselves to meet. Today, as we have stepped into the shining light of the gods after over a century, we need define what that means. Are we going to flee from the light, or embrace it?"

"Embrace!"

"Are we going to run from the flames or toward them?!"

"Toward!"

Reyna turned around. "Through difficulties to honors, my brothers and sisters! To glory we ride, and they will know that we have arrived!"

The Legion roared in a mixture of excitement and anticipation. Reyna raised her blade, and thrust it forward as she broke into a run, signaling for the others to follow her. The sound of their footsteps was like an earthquake as they approached, and the sound was similar to that as well.

They ran straight for the heart of the battle, where fire was being flung this way and that by both sides. The Greek boy, Leo, was being aided by Tempus, though neither seemed confident enough to take a good hit at their opponent, given the Giant's massive physical advantage of 'being able to not die from a well-placed hit'.

The Giant's attention was immediately turned to them, and he let out a massive wave of fire toward them, too big for Leo to blast away. Immediately, shield-bearers of the First and Fifth dashed to the front and set up a wall which completely nullified the attack, followed by their javelin throwers aiming and attacking right then. While most of them were incinerated before they could hit, some landed, and one actually hit dead-on, impaling the Giant through the chest.

While it didn't do much actual damage, it caused him to recoil, which allowed Leo and Tempus time to attack for real. Tempus landed a big kick to Greed's face, sending him flying into a massive blast from Leo, sending him shooting away into another part of the city.

"You," Reyna said to Leo. "We need to get more weapons and regroup with our other-"

The son of Hephaestus wasn't listening at all. Instead, he propelled himself into the air and followed after Greed, supported by his own flames. Reyna shook her head, but didn't question, instead turning to Tempus. The former praetor shot Reyna a look of apprehension, mostly, but with a healthy amount of regret put in there as well. She didn't even allow Reyna to speak, leaping up over the buildings entirely, after the Giant.

Reyna blinked, not sure what just happened. Octavian approached her, not having seen Tempus, by some miracle. Or rather, if he _did_ see her, he had enough tact to know that this wasn't the time for questioning. "Reyna," he said. She turned, seeing the Legion waiting for orders. The praetor started running through a few plans in her head.

"Third cohort, scatter in the city; look for injured and help where you can. Take them to the trenches on the Field of Mars. First cohort goes to get more weapons. Prioritize range; bow and arrows, javelins, whatever you can find. Fifth, you're with me. Everyone uses a shield; trade-off, now!" she barked, with a mass shuffle occurring. "Dismissed!"

xxxXXXxxx

Percy would not have been exaggerating if he said that this was the single hardest fight he'd ever had in his life. And considering the fights that he'd been in, that was saying a lot.

Wrath moved as fast as Jason, hit about three times harder than Atlas had, and could take about ten times as much punishment. Truthfully, Percy was considering cutting his losses, grabbing Annabeth and running. It would've been the smarter option, objectively.

The son of Poseidon managed to keep up his defense, though, and match Wrath blow-for-blow. Actually, that was a lie. If he tried to match Wrath's power, he would've been smushed to jelly. Thankfully, he had far superior technique, and was able to deflect the Giant's blow, negating a lot of their force. And even with that technique, Percy felt like his arms were about to fall off, with each hit weakening him more and more.

Wrath yelled, the sound of which literally tore through the air, giving them the effect of one of Jason's thunderclaps. Percy saw the attack coming as Wrath then dashed toward him. The son of Poseidon ducked and dove into the water, propelling himself into deeper water where he knew he'd have an advantage. Or at least, that's what Percy thought.

Wrath actually followed him, displaying a similar amount of movement in the water, though Percy couldn't feel any manipulation of the water to aid the Giant in that movement. Percy willed the ocean to bend to him, launching blast after blast at him, but nothing worked. Wrath collided with Percy in the ocean, feeling like he was hit by a bullet train, and was sending careening down into the depths, where Wrath followed up.

Percy regained himself, and managed to narrowly dodge the attack, which likely would've broken his back, before kicking off of Wrath and shooting back up to the surface, where they were at least on even ground. Wrath was faster, however, and grabbed Percy by the foot, keeping him under.

It wouldn't last for long, though, as the Giant then let go and then immediately kicked, sending Percy shooting up, breaching out of the water and crashing back down into it.

Now, Percy wasn't affected by water the same way as regular people, but when he fell, it definitely felt like he was landing into a brick wall. Somehow, the son of Poseidon willed himself back up to the surface, and actually started coughing. It wasn't from lack of oxygen, but from the impact.

This was when the absolute strangest thing happened. Percy expected to have to deal with Wrath right away, but that wasn't the case. Instead, a small green orb of light appeared from the depths of the ocean, and hovered in front of Percy expectantly. The Titan Slayer stared at it for a moment as he caught his breath, confused.

Then, out of nowhere, he felt his father. And then, before his eyes, the green light morphed into the sea god himself, who seemed just as out of breath and beaten as Percy felt. "What the hell…? I thought you were dead…"

Poseidon coughed, gripping his trident in one hand, and holding his chest with another. "Little known exploit of the gods. If struck down by a monster under them, they go dormant until," he coughed. "Until met with a sufficient energy of the same kind."

"Sounds useless," Percy said, seeing Wrath raised form the water, eyeing Poseidon curiously.

"It usually is," Poseidon returned, as both pushed themselves onto their feet. "But now, perhaps with both of us, we might have a chance."

"You're kidding. I don't need your help."

"Now _isn't_ the time to be stubborn!" Poseidon exclaimed as Wrath charged.

xxxXXXxxx

Bright white flashes were all that a normal person could see of Jason and Pride's battle, throughout most of its run. They moved so fast that rocks and debris kicked up by their impact only landed after the next four impacts.

Jason had found that he was actually faster than Pride, somehow. It was slight, but Jason was able to use this to avoid most all of his more deadly attacks, though the Giant often caught him off-guard when it came to blasts.

The two exchanged a flurry of blows before knocking each other back. Jason nearly collapsed right there on the spot, from how exhausted he felt from keeping up that level of speed. Pride, on the other hand, seemed like he was taking a leisurely walk through the park.

"Very good, child of Jupiter," Pride clapped mockingly. "You've become much stronger…good…all the more power for me to take once I kill you."

"You act like I'm going to let that happen."

"You act like you have a choice," Pride dashed forward, and Jason reactivated his lightning as well, both meeting in the center of the room. Upon clashing, Pride let off a massive blast of water, knocking Jason back into the wall and forcing him to run in order to avoid the falling rubble that the impact caused. Jason dashed forward after he recovered, narrowly dodging the follow-up blasts sent by the Giant, before slamming into him. Pride caught Jason and the two got into another exchange, Jason flinging his Regalius with deft, faster-than-light strikes which Pride took in stride.

Soon, Jason found an opening. He broke through Pride guard and then quickly built up power within himself, before letting off the biggest beam of lightning that he could muster, engulfing Pride in light and sending him flying back and through the wall. Jason didn't stop there, and let off blast after blast, pummeling his opponent in the hopes of incinerating him. It, of course, didn't work.

Pride dashed forward, _through_ Jason's lightning like it didn't even affect him, and launched his own assault. Jason barely raised his spear to block the first strike, but with the blow, it was knocked clean out of his hands. Jason reactivated his lightning and avoided the blows that he could, trying to make distance, but no matter how hard he tried, Pride was always on him. Just like in Rome. Each missed attack sent shockwaves through the air, completely demolishing the cavern around them, and completely burying the Regalius. There was absolutely no hope of finding it now.

"Come on!" Pride roared. "Where's all of that bravado you showed before? Where's the spirit, the insolence?!" he crashed into Jason, but the man quickly recovered. "You stand no chance against a being of my caliber. I have spent _millennia_ preparing for this, and you have but days!"

"We've dismantled your plans piece by piece!" Jason exclaimed, getting into a furious exchange with him.

"Yes, you have. And for your blasphemy, you will be _punished_!" Pride knocked Jason away, and then began a pursuit, with both leaping and flying across the cavern in bright flashes of light again. "In truth, Aduro, I'm impressed; you fight and you fight when you don't even know the whole story about who and what you're fighting for."

"I don't want to hear any of your mind games!" Jason knocked the Giant away again, allowing another brief reprieve.

"Oh, but you wound me with that. I don't wish to fool you, Aduro. I need you to be at your very strongest; otherwise your defeat will give me no pleasure. Instead, I wish to enlighten you. You fought the legends of old, correct?" he questioned. Jason grit his teeth, but didn't respond. "I'm sure the Titan Slayer mentioned something, with his misplaced confidence."

Jason recalled that Percy had said they shouldn't have been as strong as they were. At the time, they chalked it up to Lust's influence empowering them.

"They were legends for a reason, Aduro. But it wasn't due to any favoritism or skill, but rather luck. If demigods are so powerful, if, from the likes of you and the likes of the legends, their power hasn't grown much at all on average over the millennia…where were all of the legends between now and then? Have you ever wondered?"

"You…" Jason bared his teeth and lit up his lightning. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was implying. "You murdered them! You stole all of their powers and you murdered them!"

Pride grinned. "Very good, Aduro. Oh, and it was such fun as well, to see the light slowly fade, to see the hope vanish, to _be_ the monster that they couldn't ever hope to beat. Each and every wannabe hero that has stood in my way, I have destroyed. What makes you so special? _Nothing_! I will crush you like all the rest, and this time, a son of the sky god's powers will not be stolen from me!"

"Son of the…" Jason trailed off. Again, it didn't take long to piece it together. "The civil war…you caused that?"

"Perish the thought, Aduro. Why have you kill each other when I could take your power for myself? No, the war was an unexpected turn of events. Had all gone to plan, I would have walked away with not only power over the ocean," he held up his hand, and summoned a torrent of water, which Jason had to ward off with his lightning. "But powers like yours as well."

" _The daughter of Neptune and son of Zeus…their leaders…"_ the thought only made Jason angrier. Should one of them have lived, they would've fulfilled the Great Prophecy, meaning the Titans would've been defeated long before Jason, and Tempus, were at Camp Jupiter to be caught in the war. He dashed to the side to avoid the rest of the blast of water, and charged forward again, clashing with Pride.

"Why didn't the gods stop you? Didn't they know you were active?"

"That they did," his grin grew wider. "And yet, they just brushed my actions under the rug. They have fragile egos, though I'm sure you've noticed that even through your rose-tinted glasses. I imagine they would've continued ignoring me had the Titan Slayer not brought about such change in them. Although, that change is also what has forced me to act, and now…" Pride bashed Jason to the ground and held up his hand, pooling several different elements into one attack and forming almost a dark aether, a corrupted, evil divine energy. "The twilight of the gods is upon us."

Jason shot to his feet and dashed away as fast as he could, but as Pride released the blast, it engulfed the entire cavern, and Jason along with it.

xxxXXXxxx

Had Reyna overcome her fear? Had she circumvented her fatal flaw? As she slashed and parried and was shielded by Greed's powerful attacks, with a grin on her face as she did it, it would've been easy to say 'yes.' The fact is that she wasn't fighting alone, and she would never have to again.

So maybe Reyna's fear hadn't disappeared, but it wasn't just her bravery that it was matched up to anymore, but all of Rome's.

And yet, even with this grin, Reyna knew that victory was far from secured. Greed let off a particularly powerful blast, with the Fifth raising shields and Reyna and Leo retreating behind them. The First, after the blast had ceased, raised their bows and fired volley after volley, as Leo's companion, Tempus, went in for pot-shots when she could.

The boy and Reyna hadn't spoken at all since the encounter started; neither felt the need to until now, but it was now that it happened. "We need a better plan," Reyna said, peeking over to see Greed incinerating the arrow volleys.

"Well, this one is getting us nowhere fast," Leo agreed.

"I hope you have an idea, because against something like this, we're sorely lacking in firepower. At this rate, Jolly Roger will catch up to us faster than he'll catch up to that thing."

"Yeah well…" Leo bit his lip, thinking. He opened his mouth to speak, but didn't, instead peeking over the shields again.

"You have something?"

"Yeah, but…it's gonna take time, and if it doesn't work, then your whole army is going to be out of commission," he said, grabbing his artificial shoulder.

"…Well, out with it, landlubber," she snapped, seeing that he had no intention of following up.

"Well, my…friend, she can take and give energy, to heal or to attack or whatever else. My thought is to get all of the energy of the Legion and use it at once, instead of this war-of-attrition crap that we're just going to lose."

"…" Reyna considered it. "What's the likelihood that it fails?"

"That depends on you; my friend needs time to transfer the energy. If you can keep Greed distracted, then it should work."

"And who will use that energy? That much in one place could-"

"Kill a demigod, I know. I'd be doing it, of course," Leo said. "No need for anyone else to die."

Reyna stared at the boy, unsure as to why he would be so willing to give up his life, especially for the Romans' sake. Still, she nodded. "So long as you understand what you're saying."

"Really?" Leo looked at her. "I thought you'd have more questions or complaints."

"I do. But I assume your 'friend' can answer those after the battle," she said matter-of-factly. " _And you'd better not be leaving people behind by doing this, lad,"_ she thought.

Leo nodded. The two separated then, with Leo going to his friend and Reyna rejoining the fray. "Fall back!" she ordered the Legion, getting confused cries and looks from all of them. "Fall back and listen to the Greek for now!"

Reyna took a shield from Nathan and engaged the Giant alone. He seemed almost amused by her. "You know," he held up a hand, igniting it with flames. "I said before that demigods were feisty, but now I'm thinking you all just turned into idiots in the thousand or so years I've been a-sleeping."

"Think what you will, monster; you'll be dead in but a few minutes."

Greed chuckled. "How? By your hand? Even an Aduro must know how powerful we are."

"Oh, I do. Trust me, I know better than most. But you're still going to die."

The Giant frowned at that, though Reyna couldn't tell if it was out of anger, annoyance, or confusion. In any case, he sighed, and then let off a blast, and the fight resumed in full-force.

Reyna weaved around his fireballs, trying to ignore the massive damage that it was doing to the city, which had been evacuated thankfully. Already, she could feel a massive heat welling up behind her, as Leo was given an inordinate amount of energy from his friend.

Reyna did her best to keep Greed's eyes on her. Mostly, she tried to keep him turned away from the others, and made sure to take advantage of his inferior, or perhaps just rusty, skill. Even with their power, Reyna was able to keep up with the Giant's attacks, much better than she was expecting, actually.

What Reyna half-expected to happen was that she would freeze up as soon as she was left alone with such an incredible force, but not so. It seemed her earlier statement had been correct; she stood with all of Rome now.

Eventually, though, Reyna _was_ hit, and hit hard. She was blasted back at full-force into a pile of already-charred rubble, nearly burying her underneath it. She managed to free herself, as Greed took his sweet time watching her struggle. Reyna didn't get up right away though, as she was preoccupied gawking as the massive power that had built up. She stared, nearly slack-jawed, behind the Giant. Seeing this, Greed spun around.

There he was; a Greek, holding all of the power of Rome in him. His mechanical arm, the power amplified in his shoulder going crazy from the amount of, well, power coursing through it. He was grinning. "What?" Greed questioned. "How, you…Envy…" he grit his teeth. "You bastards turned her against us…"

"'Never in a million years.' Isn't that what you said? Well, what do you think of me now?!" Leo reached out his hand, and let loose a monstrous ball of flame. Greed didn't try to take it, instead diving out of the way, but that left Reyna, who Leo either couldn't see or was too caught up in the moment to notice. The boy was lucky she didn't take the attack as intentional.

Thankfully, though she couldn't have gotten up and avoided it in time herself, Reyna was saved, tackled out of the way, by Leo's friend. "Tammy, I-" Reyna didn't get a chance to thank her before she bounded off. Reyna shook her head; she needed to focus. "Save our energy, lad!" she called to the son of Hephaestus, seeing him panting from just that. "I won't have you go wasting it!"

Greed growled. "Damn it! This wasn't supposed to happen!" he exclaimed. "But fine! I'll end it right now!"

Greed shot into the air with his flames, building up power as he did. "What is he…?" Reyna squinted, trying to see through the smoke. The realization soon dawned on her as Greed's fire shone through even the thick smoke. "Oh gods…"

He was going to blow up all of New Rome at once. Part of Reyna wondered why, if he could do that, that he didn't start with that option. Then he remembered the kind of people the Giants were; cruel, sadistic. They all, without fail, have wanted to watch as hope slowly faded from their opponent.

Leo didn't even miss a beat, however. According to Jason, the boy could fly using his fire, using them like rocket propellers, but he didn't do that to lift off, likely to conserve power. "Hey, hey, Tammy, give me a boost!" he yelled, as Tempus ran over to him. She held out an arm, and at first, Reyna wasn't sure what the plan was. It wasn't until after it all happened that she made the connection, that this Tempus was the Envy that Greed had mentioned.

Leo jumped onto Tammy's arm, and then she shot him upward with all of her Gigantic strength, blasting away the smoke from the air. The force not only sent a shockwave through the air, but left her in a small crater. That and it shattered her arm and probably damaged her spine (since she still had the body of a demigod).

Leo soared upward through the smoke and into open air. He reared back his metal arm as he ascended, as he quickly caught up to the Giant. Greed, stuck in the air, couldn't do anything but watch his death come. Leo shot his arm forward and released all of the power of Rome.

All they saw from the ground was a massive explosion. They were high enough in the air that it didn't reach them, though the heat from the blast nearly singed off their hair and clothes from even that far away. If the explosion had happened on the ground, Reyna suspected that it would've engulfed the entirety of the Field of Mars.

At first, since the smoke had come back, it was difficult to see if anything had survived the blast. They got their answer when a figure appeared as a shadow in the cloud, and then crash down without any more warning.

It was Leo, and apart from his mechanical arm being destroyed, he was in one piece. The same couldn't be said for the Giant, or this half in any case.

Though, given that Camp Jupiter was attacked, Reyna was now worried that something similar had happened to Winona at Camp Half-Blood. She wanted to go back immediately, and make sure her new friend was safe, but as she looked around at the drained faces of her comrades, she knew that, at least for now, she needed to stay, that it was her duty to do so.

Reyna saw Tammy rush to Leo. Instead of zeroing in on her, Reyna turned her attention to the wounded of the Legion. She needed to get them some medical attention.

Personal issues would have to wait.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So before you complain about a stupid plot device in Poseidon's appearance...well, you should complain because it's awful writing, but dammit I want him hear to fight with Percy, okay? In any case, this is the first time since I've returned that I actually bothered proof-reading the chapter that I'm posting, so...yay? Or maybe not. Oh well.**

 **Anyway, um...reminder; action is ball-to-the-wall insane from here. Just a friendly reminder not to take that part too seriously.**

 **But that's all I got; see you tomorrow!**


	74. This Day And Never Again

Winona couldn't breathe at first, when she awoke, as her heartrate was through the roof. She forced herself to her feet and looked around, though it was difficult to make anything out at first due to the heavy rainfall, trying to remember what happened to put her where she ended up. It all came rushing back to her as she saw the destruction.

The cabins were in shambles, as was the Big House. Campers lay scattered, literally. At least thirty were dead, with probably double that injured in some way, if Winona had to guess.

As she looked around, Winona got this stabbing pain in her head. Her sight went black, and she was given a vision, like she was dreaming. In it, she saw two people. "B…Bianca…?" Winona wondered, seeing the girl bloody and ragged, facing off against Greed. Her vision blinked back and forth between this vision and Winona's true sight as she stumbled through the carnage.

Along the way, as the vision kept coming back and proceeding, almost in real-time, Winona saw the destruction left in their wake, and followed it. Bianca had been gashed by shadows, and then dashed away, into the woods.

Winona followed the blood trail, mostly by its smell, which hung even as the blood itself had been washed away, until she came to a clearing where most of the trees had been destroyed or snapped in two. She saw in her vision where Bianca came, seeing that a group of campers had come here to regroup, only to have led the Giant to them. She saw Bianca desperately form a barrier against a fatal blast sent by Greed. Winona saw the two corpses of campers she couldn't save.

Bianca had been blasted away by the attack, crashing through branches. Winona followed the trail, watching as Bianca had dueled with the Giant, matching him blow-for-blow, for a time. She even mounted an offensive, with the help of some campers, but they were soon blown away. Winona passed them as they recovered; thankfully, none had died in the encounter. Among these were some of the rogues, who had joined the fight.

Bianca was zoned back to where the cabins once stood, where she met up with a whole bunch of campers who were ready to fight. Together, they managed to hold the line. Winona saw the scared earth from the battle, the vicious gashes that the Giant had gouged into the once-beautiful valley. In them, Winona saw three more dead campers, with another two on death's door, moaning, along with some Apollo kids who were trying in vain to save them. Winona might have been one of them, before the Titans.

The fight went to the Big House, where Winona saw an even larger clash having happened, as both Bianca and Greed started going all-out. At first, Winona saw that neither could overpower the other, from Bianca's experience with the shadows matching Greed's raw power. However, as Bianca's stamina faded, Greed remained consistent.

Again, Bianca had been shot away, blood trail leading toward where she'd landed. She saw Bianca get up from the attack, half-dead and suffering from multiple stab wounds and a nearly severed leg, which hung on by just a bit of skin and muscle. Even if she wasn't fighting a Giant, she would still only have a few minutes left until she bled out.

But she was fighting a Giant, or rather, she had been. Greed saw that the fight was all but over, and he began gloating. It didn't last long; Bianca didn't give him the time of day. So, in the end, he left off one final blast, and Winona jerked back to the real world.

Winona looked after the trail, saw the dead grass where Greed had let off his attack. Where its epicenter had been, Winona saw a pool of blood, even in the rain. Slowly, unbelieving, she stepped toward it. "No…" she muttered, tears mixing with the rain on her face. "Please…gods, no…"

She saw the body, half-submerged in the pool. Another few steps, and the holes where Greed had impaled her were visible. Another step. Another. Finally, Winona broke into a run over to Bianca, hoping against all hope that, somehow, she was alive.

The girl all but collapsed onto her hands and knees, rapidly flipping Bianca over to look at her face, only to see dead white. Not even dead white irises, which Winona would've been happy to see in that moment. There was nothing, like they'd rolled back into her head. As Winona grasped the girl's head and neck, she felt no pulse.

Winona felt power within her. It wasn't born from strength, but from sorrow. With these power surges, the area around her burned gold. Winona let go of Bianca, and then stood, looking at her corpse. Her…corpse…

Bianca was dead…Winona was alone again…

Numbly, Winona felt a presence approach her from behind. "Oh, there you are," Greed said nonchalantly. "I've been looking all over for you; I believe we were in the middle of something."

Winona ignored him. Her eyes stayed glued onto the body. The girl's whole body was shaking with sadness, and she felt so weak that she thought she might pass out. "…Just like before…" she muttered. "I…can't save anyone…"

"You know, the Hades spawn told me to tell you something, but I figure you'll be seeing her again real soon anyway, so I don't really care to tell you."

"…I…I'm alone…it's only me…alone, alone, alone…" Winona slowly turned around. Was this what Bianca felt upon losing her brother? Was this the rage? The golden glow started becoming more consistent, more constant. "She stopped me from killing before, when I lost someone close to me. She's not here to do that anymore…"

Greed frowned at that. "Sorry, but I think you've got things mixed up," he summoned a torrent of shadows around him; Bianca's shadows, that he stole. "You're gonna die here, along with the rest of the pathetic mortals."

"Mortal…?" Winona said aloud. "You _immortals_ , the Titans and the Giants…you've taken away my life. You've taken away my friends. You've taken away my love," the golden glow was now pouring out of Winona. Greed took this as opportunity to attack, sending a wave of shadow tendrils toward her. Winona's voice rose to a yell. "I'll _never_ let you do that again!" she rose into the air, body disappearing, as she became just a brilliant golden light. " _Never_!" her voice changed, almost like it mixed and combined and then formed anew from another voice entirely, one much older, much more primal.

Winona briefly appeared in a world of that golden light. She was alone at first, but then quickly saw someone else shimmer into existence. "Father…?" the word sounded so foreign on her tongue. The god Apollo had lain comatose in Camp Half-Blood infirmary for two years now. The god seemed calmer than Winona remembered him being in her visions of him, however brief they may have been. He smiled warmly. Winona turned away.

"My daughter…" he began. "I'm…sorry, for forcing so much on you. You _did_ have your life stolen."

"…Why appear now…?"

"Because you are finally ready to assume your role, in all of this. The truth is…we've both lost the people closest to us. I'm appearing now because…now is when you're letting me. Winona Solace…I pass my essence onto you in full. Do you accept?"

Winona took a deep breath. Was she ready to become a god? She nodded. "Yes."

Winona's vision slammed back to the real world. Greed stood across from her, dumbfounded that she was still alive after his attack. Winona stepped toward him. He shot wave after wave of shadow at her, and all Winona could think as they bounced off of her light was, " _Bianca did it better."_

The new god released a brief flash of her divine form, and now, it didn't almost kill her. That was a plus.

The force of the release was enough to blast Greed away. Winona teleported to him, and looked down on him. "What did she say?" Winona questioned.

"W-what?" the Giant was too stunned that he was now suddenly losing to have heard her.

"What did Bianca say?!" Winona roared, voice altering again into that primordial tone. She raised her hand to the sky and exerted her will. At this point, while it would come back to bite her not long after, Winona was willing to put everything into an attack, just the get at Greed.

Her will literally broke open the storm, reverting Camp Half-Blood to how it normally was, revealing the sun shining overhead. As Winona flexed her arm, the sun seemed to intensify, and a ball of flame, like a small sun in and of itself, formed in her palm.

"S-she said 'tell Win that when I meet her on the other side, I'll stay by it this time.' That's what she said!" the Giant covered his face with his arms, being blinded by the light.

Winona bit her lip. "Thank you," she said after a moment, before thrusting her hand forward and releasing the sun, which collided and incinerated the other half of Greed, appearing like an explosion being contained in his body, until it all melted away from the sheer heat.

The fight was over, to her knowledge. But at what cost? Winona looked around, seeing the destruction, and thought, for a terrifying moment, that something similar might have happened to Camp Jupiter. It wasn't long after this thought entered her mind, than did an Iris-Message appear in front of her.

In it was Reyna, and in her eyes was a fierce desperation.

xxxXXXxxx

Wrath's roars echoed through the ocean, through the air, into the core of his opponents. Percy and Poseidon flung torrents of water left and right, but nothing seemed to even affect the Giant. Wrath charged toward the two and attacked, instantly breaking through the defense that they'd put up, and shooting them deep into the water. Percy tumbled through for a moment before regaining his bearings. Even knowing how strong Wrath was, he was surprised at how far he was sent into the ocean. The Titan Slayer whirled around as he felt Wrath approach, but couldn't do anything before he was on him. Even as Percy pelted him with burst of water, Wrath simply grabbed onto his head and dragged him along.

Percy felt Wrath stumble, like he'd been hit, before he caught glimpses of Poseidon being grabbed just like him. They all burst out of the water, shooting several meters into the air, before Wrath threw them both together and roared, which was a weapon on in itself, acting similarly to Jason's thunderclaps, only much, much stronger. The two were sent shooting back down into the water, which almost seemed to act against them. The two created a kind of sinkhole when they landed, and the currents were difficult to stave off, even with both of them pushing against it.

The two stood on the water's surface, ragged. "I don't suppose you're holding back for whatever reason?" Percy questioned.

"Unlike you, I don't enjoy this type of blood-sport."

"I guess I got it from mom, then," Percy returned.

"And what about your smart-mouth?"

"That's all you, pops."

Wrath reappeared above the surface, grinning like the madman that he was. Percy didn't know the mission that Pride had given him, but he knew that the Giant's focus was squarely on them, and not on Gaia, which is what they wanted.

Poseidon held out his trident. "You need to take this," he said.

"What? Why?"

"Weapons made for the gods are limited when in their hands. Under you, the trident's power should be enough to-" when Percy reached to grab it, he was hit away. "W-what?"

"Yeah, I don't think that thing likes me," Percy said as Wrath began to approach them. "And besides, I would rather die than use any of your power."

"I-I don't…" Poseidon looked at his weapon, confused. "A son of mine should be able to wield it by default…"

"On me," Percy ordered, getting a glare from Poseidon, though at least his focus was back on the fight. The Titan Slayer strained his body, and willed the ocean to obey him as he tried to split the sea. What began as a small crack in the water's surface quickly became a chasm. When Poseidon joined, the gap grew wider. Wrath seemed unprepared for how quickly it spread to him, and so was caught right in its center, and was sent plummeting below to the bottom. "Let go!" Percy yelled as he released it, with Poseidon doing the same. All at once, the water crashed into the artificial gap, no doubt crushing Wrath at the bottom.

Percy slouched, hands on his knees, panting. Poseidon looked similarly drained, though Percy didn't know how much of that was from the fight or his trip here from his palace. "Is he dead?" Percy questioned.

"I doubt it…"

"Did we at least slow him down?"

"I doubt it…"

As if on cue, Poseidon was grabbed by the leg and dragged under. Percy couldn't even steady himself as a massive blast of godly power was released, sending him flying into the air. Thankfully, the Titan Slayer managed to catch himself, and land without becoming vulnerable. Unfortunately, he was fighting Wrath, where it didn't matter.

The Giant burst up to the surface, face hideous as ever. He shot a fist into Percy's chest, which the demigod deflected. Percy unleashed a devastating flurry of blows with Riptide, but none of them appeared to do anything, and most of them were blocked or dodged anyway. As Percy went for a downward slash onto the Giant's head, his hand was knocked away. Wrath grabbed hold of Percy's wrist and then his shirt, before lifting him up and throwing him away.

The Titan Slayer bounced and skidded across the water violently before sinking below the surface, so much so that he parted the water as he passed.

Finally, after what felt like hours being pummeled by the waves which he should've been in control of, Percy caught himself. Wrath threw away his shirt, which had been torn off, and picked up Riptide, which had been knocked out of his hands. The Giant looked at the blade with a grin, with Percy's own power still embedded into it.

The Titan Slayer was panting, body strained already from expending so much to even keep up with this thing. His father was nowhere to be seen as well. Wrath turned to face him and looked to be almost amused as Percy made to continue fighting, as if saying 'is that all you've got, Titan Slayer?'

Percy clenched his fists and built up power within himself, surrounding himself in a sea-green aura. With a roar of exertion, Percy willed the ocean to obey, lifting two massive waves behind him. Percy thrust his hands forward and the waves condensed into tendrils which shot toward Wrath at high speeds, coalescing into a single, potent stream of water.

The Giant stood there and took it. He held out Riptide, in a kind of lazy fighting stance, and took it just like that. The blade physically split the attack in two, with water shooting out and cutting into the island behind him. Immediately upon the attack connecting, he heard Riptide scream in his head, in agony. Even still, Percy persisted, throwing all of his power into the attack. Wrath walked forward, into the water, and continued walking until he'd reached the Titan Slayer.

Percy cut off the attack abruptly, and barely caught a knee intended for his head. Even if he caught it, it still sent him back by several meters. The son of Poseidon couldn't even make another blade to fight with before Wrath was on him, using Riptide. The Giant struck with surprising precision, and Percy was just barely able to avoid the assault until he built up enough power to hopefully take it.

Percy held out his hands and formed as strong a barrier with the surrounding water as he could. Wrath grinned and struck down onto it. The force of just the first blow sent Percy to one knee and caused Riptide to cry out again. " _Come back to my pocket!"_ Percy yelled in his head.

" _I can't! He's blocking me!"_ the sword returned.

Wrath kept raining down blows onto Percy and his water shield, over and over without end. With each hit, Percy's strength waned, and the more it dawned on him how hopeless this battle was. Even if they somehow beat this guy; then what? Then they had Pride to deal with, when they were half-dead already.

He kept hitting. Percy wanted to screaming to stop, he wanted to stop this thing, but willpower alone couldn't match up. Percy wasn't strong enough to beat this opponent. Not even close.

Another hit. Another. Another. And then…it stopped.

With a final smash, two things happened. Percy's barrier broke. And…so did Riptide.

It broke apart near the hilt, with the blade spiraling up and hitting Wrath in the shoulder. Instantly, Percy felt a massive headache well up, so piercing and sudden that he nearly went into shock from it alone. He let out a sharp cry of agony, hands shooting up to his temples, but it was cut short as Wrath kicked him away, knocking the air from his lungs.

As he flew and skidded across the water, Percy had to force his agony down so he could survive. In that moment, he was forced to come to grips with an immense loss that should've taken months, maybe even years to get over. It sounds odd out of context, but that sword had turned into one of Percy's closest friends, and was his second-oldest ally in this world, besides Grover.

It was as he was kicked away did Poseidon return to the battlefield. He looked just as worse off as his son; ragged, beaten, bloodied. And yet they were supposed to win. The sea god launched himself at Wrath, but his assault was easily mitigated by the Giant's unrelenting power. Poseidon was quick beaten back, socked in the stomach before being kicked away, knocking his trident right out of his hands.

And right toward Percy.

The son of Poseidon saw it and reached out to grab it. The divine weapon landed in his hands and released a brilliant sea-green light, enacting a searing pain throughout Percy's entire body as it tried to reject him. The son of Poseidon screamed, both from the pain and overflowing amount of power he felt from the weapon. He _needed_ that power. He needed it to protect Annabeth, to protect everyone. And he would do anything to have it…even go back on something so fundamental to himself.

The Titan Slayer was surrounded by a torrent of water, with only the green light showing through. The earth shook at his growing strength, literally, and storms brewed overhead, as if the heavens themselves were becoming enraged. Finally, the light grew so bright and powerful that it burst through the water, briefly blinding everyone that was there. When it cleared, they saw a monster.

Percy stood, trident in hand, protruding a massive green aura around him. His posture was poised, regal almost, and his eyes were had a disturbing, deadly calm. Percy had never felt his mind so clear as it was in that moment. Never has his vision been so lucid. Poseidon looked at his son in utter disbelief. Everything about this was literally impossible, and yet it was so. "By Pontus himself…" the god muttered. He had only witnessed the protengos' power once, when he first assumed control of the seas. Honestly, he'd forgotten.

But even more so than his power was how Percy achieved it. Because above his head was a glowing green trident symbol; he was finally claimed as a true son of Poseidon. Whether or not Poseidon, or his trident, had been trying to claim him and Percy finally accepted it, or, more impossibly, Percy forced the claiming onto himself from wielding the trident, he didn't know. In the chaos, even Poseidon didn't know.

What mattered, however, was that even Wrath looked uneasy at the Titan Slayer's transformation. "Today, I choose to swallow my pride in exchange for this power; this day and _never_ again."

Wrath stepped back, no doubt sensing the inordinate amount of energy coming from the demigod. In a rage, or perhaps in desperation, Wrath roared, his own power spiraling around him.

"Just like us, it's only a matter of time before an echo of your past comes back to haunt you. You may have been destined to kill the sea god, but _I_ am destined to kill you, Wrath."

The Giant continued his roar, trying to in vain to intimidate Percy. With but a thought, Percy willed a tsunami to rise and crash into the Giant, with enough force to drag him under and pummel him with enough force to actually do some amount of damage. And that was just with a thought. Wrath burst up and roared more.

Percy moved toward the Giant; he didn't so much run or even jump toward him, but more glided across the water. He moved right up to Wrath, who was so startled by the speed at which it happened that he stopped roaring. "Your own bad energy will be your undoing."

The Giant shot a fist toward Percy, but he avoided it handily. To the demigod, the blow that physically sent a wave of air shooting past him from the force and speed, looked like it happened in slow-motion. With another thought, Percy blasted Wrath away with another tsunami, and then lifted him up into the air with a massive geyser, burning him as he did.

Wrath landed on his feet, somehow, though looked absolutely hideous. Well, more so than usual. Burns scarred his body from the geyser, and much of his skin seemed to be indented from the few impacts he took. With a final roar of defiance, Wrath broke into a run toward the Titan Slayer. Suddenly, his vision shifted. At first, the contrast in light levels was so extreme that he had trouble adjusting.

He saw a pier, though he was far from it. He saw a few figures on it, shrouded in darkness, though behind Percy himself was a bright light, beaming out toward them. Soon, the figures faded, down to one, and he was illuminated. It was Percy-before, back on the pier, reaching out desperately for the light. The further he reached, the closer the pier became. "I see you approaching…ever the dreamer, always trying to go it alone…But now…"

The Titan Slayer held out the trident, aimed directly forward, toward the pier…toward Wrath.

"The dream ends."

As Percy released the attack, everything vanished. He and Wrath were engulfed in a blast unparalleled except perhaps by the Protogenoi. And so, one of Greece's greatest warriors has vanished in a blinding flash of light.

The legend of the Titan Slayer…the dream…has ended.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm sorry, but I'm actually not sorry. I just killed off two of the most important characters in the series, and I have no regrets. That's literally all I have to say.**


	75. United We Stand

Jason found himself in darkness. The air was stale and dirty. With some effort, the son of Jupiter pushed with his lightning, and blasted away the rubble that he'd been buried under. At the onset of comparatively fresh air, he went into a coughing fit. Pride stood over him.

"Good, you're still breathing. For a moment, I thought I'd overestimated you. It's good to see I won't have to temper these powers much when they're mine," he said. Jason quickly shot out a hand and blasted the Giant with his lightning, though the blast was weakened from Jason's ever-growing fatigue. It wasn't even strong enough to knock him away. Pride just stood there, grinning.

"I wonder if you realize the futility of this battle, son of Jupiter?" Pride questioned, landing a vicious punch to the gut, sending the demigod careening down into the wall behind him and causing him to cough up blood. "The utter waste of energy this is?" Pride grabbed him by the shirt and threw him to the opposite wall, half-burying him in rubble again.

Jason stood, but his vision went black as he did, sending him back onto his hands and knees.

"Your allies are scattered, sent off into battles that are as meaningless as this one. No matter the cost to my brethren, your friends will perish, and leave you gasping for air; broken, beaten, and alone."

"I…" Jason spat some blood on the ground, and forced himself to his feet. "I don't care."

"You don't 'care' that your precious friends are being slaughtered?" the Giant questioned, walking slowly toward him. "And here I thought you'd succumbed completely to that Roman sentimentality; 'once more unto the breach, dear friends' and all that."

"I love them all!" Jason claimed. "But even if they all perish…even if I have to go to their families and friends and tell them myself that I wasn't strong enough to protect them, that doesn't change what I have to do now!" Pride frowned. "You can torture them, maim them, kill them; it doesn't matter. It still won't change the fact that…that I have to beat you!"

"Tch…it seems you've also picked up on that Greek stubbornness," he said, holding out his hand and building up a fire. "You have no chance, Aduro. You are alone. Your friends are alone. Even now, Greed marches on your camps with the intention to destroy, and there is no one there with the strength to defeat him. Wrath engages the son of the sea, whom he was _designed_ to destroy. You cannot win. And yet, I still see that light of hope in your eye. I wonder where it comes from. Tell me, so that I might snuff it out before you die?"

"You…" Jason flipped a switch in his brain. Wind picked up around him. "You just don't get it at all…"

"Oh?" Pride grinned. "Then tell me; why do you still fight?"

Jason's adrenaline flared. "Because I still have my pride!" he roared, amplifying it with his powers so harshly that it caused the cavern to shake. Pride released his blast, but Jason wasn't there anymore. He'd shot into the air, screaming as his powers exploded around him, his wind blasting through the stone and dirt that he flew through.

Within a few seconds, Jason broke through the surface and shot into the air, followed closely by Pride. Piper and Annabeth, who were still holding the fort, so to speak, on top of the mountain, saw them. "Oh, not good," Annabeth said. "I don't see any lightning; his wind might not be strong enough."

"I don't know; it seemed to work okay the last time," Piper mentioned, but definitely saw what Annabeth meant. Even defiant, Jason looked ragged and drained. Pride began laughing.

"What's so funny?!" Jason demanded.

Pride stopped, and loosened his stance, arms dropping to his sides. "…I will _crush_ that pride…as you have crushed mine, heathen," he muttered. Suddenly, his body pulsed, literally. Pride began glowing a greenish hue as his body physically grew larger. "You look surprised," the Giant grinned. "You think we don't have our own divine forms?"

"That…there's _nothing_ divine about that!"

"And there's the punchline," Pride tensed and his form subtly changed. His form grew thicker, his teeth became fangs, and his eyes went blank white; literally blinded by power. All he was missing was a pair of broken wings on his back to make him a true devil.

Both of them shot toward each other at the same time, though Jason was much faster; it seemed this form lowered Pride's movement speed, likely in exchange for power. Jason reared back a fist, the wind dragging behind him to strike. Pride didn't even try to block or dodge as Jason punched him directly in the face. Her didn't flinch, didn't even react, even as the wind blasted him. He just kept moving, kept grinning, as if nothing even happened.

Jason vaulted himself over his opponent before he could retaliate. He flew away, with Pride right on his heels. The Giant screamed madly as he caught up, and the two clashed, blasting each other away from the force, before shooting toward each other again and repeating, each hit parting the clouds around them.

Eventually, Jason was blasted down toward the ground. He caught himself, but was then tackled into by Pride, dragging them both into the ground. The demigod freed himself of Pride's grasp before he could be buried, though they made a massive crater, and they got into a furious exchange, Jason pulling whatever power he could out of himself to survive. He flung a fist toward Pride, who craned his neck to void it, before launching Jason away with a punch of his own. Jason went flying through the air, back toward the new mountain. He landed hard, and skidded up the side, stopping at the top, though only because the girls caught him.

Jason couldn't barely move anymore, so drained and weak. And unfortunately, Pride was still raring to go. Seeing the Giant approach, Jason forced his feet under him. "Jason, we need to leave," Annabeth advised. "Gaia is already asleep; this fight is meaningless."

"Pride won't let us," the son of Jupiter said through gritted teeth. "He…he seems slower, but he'll outlast us…and find us…"

"Slower, like stupider?" Piper questioned, getting an idea in her head.

"Maybe…I don't know…" Jason closed his eyes, trying of kind some semblance of calm within himself, but nothing came. He was too wound up; his mind wouldn't slow down and his body burned with exertion and injury.

Pride held out his hand, charging up an attack. Jason shot into the air and engaged the Giant, trying to keep his attention on him and not the girls. Very quickly, the Giant knocked him back down to the mountain. He charged toward the demigod, with the intention to kill.

"Hey, Pride!" Piper called. "Come after me!"

Time stood still as the Giant changed direction in mid-air. Jason shot to his feet, but felt like he was moving through molasses as he saw Piper unable to raise her blade to defend against the incoming attack. " _No…no, please!"_ Jason begged someone, anyone to save her.

No one came.

Piper was caught in the chest; Pride's hand went right through. Instantly, she started coughing up blood, as he soared past with her impaled on his arm like it was a blade. As a final insult, he released his blast right as he threw her off, blasting her away. Time resumed for the son of Jupiter. He saw Piper look toward him, tears flowing form her eyes.

"Catch me?" she asked, her voice echoing in his ears. On command, Jason leapt toward her and dove as she fell. He caught her just as she was going to crash, as he skidded to a stop on the ground.

"Piper! Piper, no, don't-" Jason's voice caught in his throat. His vision became misty as she raised a hand to his face.

"It's alright…Jason…I was…always willing to do this…"

"No…no, I made you a promise! I promised that I would be there for you!" he cried, grasping her other hand too tightly. "I don't…you're…"

"Jason…I know this is selfish, but…" she grasped the back of his neck and pulled him close, her lips up to his ear. "…I have a friend waiting for me…in the next life…"

He silently gasped, but couldn't say anything.

"You still have work to do…so now…Jason…I need you to do something for me."

"A…Anything…"

"Remember our word…and stop holding back."

The God Slayer felt Piper's body go limp, and then he saw the focus drain from her gaze. And then, she was gone.

Slowly, carefully, he set her onto the ground. Words spiraled in his head as he stood. _"You must be their Saving Grace…You can't run away anymore…Through difficulties to honor…That is the mark of a hero."_

"I remember our word, Piper," Jason said, gathering power from a source he couldn't pinpoint. "And I know now what it means."

" _Because they inspire you._ "

In one hand, Jason felt lightning begin to course through, and in the other a wind picked up. Jason closed both fists, feeling both powers surge through him. The air around him began moving and the static built up above him, and soon lightning arced from the sky, and Jason was surrounded by a small tornado.

With a yell of exertion, Jason managed to contain both of these powers within himself simultaneously. The tornado released in a violent burst, and the lightning caused dust and dirt to kick up before disappearing. When the cloud cleared Jason was visible, standing taller and prouder than ever before.

Pride looked at the demigod with contempt, knowing that he was ready for a fourth round.

It wasn't just that Jason had managed to activate both aspects of his powers at once; it was something much more primal, as if he were drawing on the power of the gods themselves. So, despite his fatigue and injury, the God Slayer felt as if he had just woken up. Well, woken up, drank ten energy drinks, and then injected himself with the strongest steroid in the world.

In a word, Jason felt powerful.

But with no words, Jason shot into action, disappearing in a flash of light, even to Pride, and rammed a boosted fist into the Giant's chest, blasting him away, first with the lightning to knock him off-balance, and then the wind to actually blast him away.

Pride burst back up quickly, but Jason was too fast, flying up to him again and hitting him in the exact same place. This time, though, Pride was hit and affected, he stood his ground. He launched his own assault toward Jason then, with the demigod avoiding every hit thanks to his increased speed. Numbly, Jason registered that any one of these hits could end him.

Eventually, the God Slayer vaulted over Pride, who whirled around to meet him. Only Jason had then immediately slipped under Pride, and was charging up another attack. As soon as Pride turned around again, Jason let it off, hitting Pride in the exact same spot once again. This time, Jason saw his skin crack, almost like it was armor, from the repeated strikes.

Pride caught himself soon after he was sent flying away. He was growling at the God Slayer, who smirked. "What's wrong? Did I damage your pride even more? Did you think I was finished? Or are you just now realizing what we demigods are capable of? Do you understand now that we're going to destroy you?" Pride didn't respond, just kept growling. Jason's smirk faded. "There's a fatal flaw with that form, Pride," he claimed. "You may be able to beat me with one hit, and I may not be able to match your power, but you sacrifice speed and mental capacity. You'll never keep up."

That was what he said. In reality, Jason felt his energy reserves already draining, and he actually just wanted to flip the situation. If Jason could land a few good shots on Pride regularly, he might be able to do enough damage to either end him or send him running. As it was now, Jason knew he couldn't do enough before he collapsed from exhaustion.

Somehow, the bluff worked. Pride's form began steaming, like he was burning off the excess, and soon, he was back to his normal self. He still held his glare, piercing right through him. "Well…this is new, mortal…" he said giving a smirk of his own. "But you're still far outmatched."

"…" Jason didn't respond. Seeing this, Pride didn't try and break his spirit. Jason had already proven that that didn't work. Instead, the two charged toward each other and attacked.

Once again, they matched each other in speed. The two took turns knocking each other through the air, with each hit creating shockwaves. "Why can't you just roll over and die already?!" Pride demanded. Jason charged toward him.

"I can't let you hurt anymore people!" he released a blast of lightning, knocking Pride away, before willing a burst of wind to push him back into another attack. "I'll be the one to stop you!" Jason threw a lightning-powered fist at the Giant, blasting him into the mountain and carving a chunk off of it as he was sent right through. Pride caught himself and dashed right back, through another portion of the mountain.

"You'll die trying!" he claimed, the two matching blows. They both careened down into the mountain.

"This world doesn't belong to you!" Jason roared, aiming a fist at the damaged part of Pride chest, only to have it caught. "And you are God to no one!"

"Your divine punishment will rage on unabated long after you perish!" Pride knocked Jason away. "I will chase your soul to the depths of hell itself and drag it back to torture you!"

Jason caught himself in the air, but only barely. He needed to land that good hit soon, or else he'd collapse. Truthfully, this was a crap-chute; Jason likely didn't have the power to kill Pride, but if he could at least wound him…then someone would be able to finish the job. If he was lucky.

Pride charged up an attack from afar, using both fire and water, one in each hand. Jason released his own power, pulsing in a white light, before releasing it in a blinding flash. "You think you can run away?!" Pride questioned. The light faded, and Jason was actually flying toward the Giant, wind and lightning spiraling behind him, ready to be used. "Too slow, Aduro!"

Pride shot his own attack at the demigod, water and fire somehow not cancelling each other out, and they collided with Jason. Only that wasn't entirely true. The attack connected, but it went right through him, and Jason faded in a flash of light.

The real Jason was right behind the fake one, having avoided the attack handily, before shooting forward toward Pride. The Giant desperately built up power to block the strike, but he wasn't fast enough. Jason thrust his fist forward, lightning and wind along with him, right into the nearly open wound in the Giant's chest.

In all happened so quickly, but the time of impact was burned into Jason's memory as the most viscerally satisfying punch he ever threw. For how much pain Pride had caused him and his friends, the turmoil he'd thrust in all of their lives, Jason had paid him back at least in part. Jason had rammed his fist right through the Giant's chest.

The wind and lightning caught up then, and blasted Pride away, doing even more damage to the wound. The Giant crashed down into the mountain, the impact exploding in a cloud of dust and dirt.

Jason slouched in the air, exhausted. Gods, it would be too easy for Pride to have died from that attack, but Jason knew he was out of juice. It took all he had to stay in the air, let alone maneuver around any attacks. Lucky him that that was exactly what he would have had to do to not become a punching bag.

It wasn't that long before Pride shot back up like a bullet, ramming into Jason at full-speed, though given how injured the Giant had become, it wasn't nearly as fast as they were fighting but moments before. The demigod couldn't even try to catch himself in any kind of urgent manner, as Pride charged up another attack, laughing psychotically. As he went to release the attack however, he doubled over, as if he was in pain. "W-what?" he questioned, as some green liquid, a Giant's version of blood, Jason presumed, spurted out of the hole in his chest. "Y-you…you insolent…" he didn't finish. Jason managed to stop his fall by now. "Fine…I may not be able to hit you from afar, but I'm more than capable of ripping you to shreds by hand!" Pride burst toward him, eyes crazed, with the intent to kill.

Jason couldn't even hope to keep fighting. Not without a miracle.

xxxXXXxxx

Leo's nervous system must've gotten thrown out of whack from the…thing that he did. Even his memories were hazy. Everything was fuzzy. All he heard was white noise. All he smelled was must. All he felt was numbness, thankfully better than pain in the short-term. And all he saw as he opened his eyes was an angel, though at first, even she was just a blur of color.

As he forced his mind to concentrate and forced his vision to focus, he saw Tammy, teeth gritted, face beaded with sweat, and an intense glow coming from where she was making contact with Leo. "You…" he forced out, voice hoarse, barely more than a whisper. Tammy's eyes lit up, and tears began falling down her cheeks. At seeing him awake, the glow only became stronger. Even in his half-dead state, Leo knew what she was doing. "You're…you're healing me…but…" he tried to sit up, but couldn't even try that much without feeling an intense pain take over for the numbness he felt.

No sooner did Leo fall back into his resting position, than did he hear footsteps approaching. "You've got tougher skin than I'd assumed, imp," Reyna said, putting a hand on her hip. She eyed Tammy, but didn't comment. "I have questions."

"I have answers," Tammy's form shifted to Reyna's own.

"…Don't do that, or so help me I'll drive my blade into your heart, Giant."

Tammy flinched, and returned to her natural form. It was odd, as one would think it'd be the first thing either Reyna or Leo noticed, but only after she was seen with it in another form did they realize that she had lost an arm, the one she'd broken in her final stunt, in her natural one. Leo's eyes went wide when he saw it. "You…your arm, it…"

Tammy shook her head, form going to Piper. "It's alright," she assured. "I needed to…" she groaned quietly. "Start atoning…"

"B-but…" Leo wanted to argue, but quickly realized that that wouldn't do any good. Instead, he made a mental promise to build her a mechanical arm like he had.

"Avast ye, imp," Reyna got his attention back. "Are you able to hear or have you gone deaf?"

"What's the damage?" Leo returned with another question. Reyna blinked; she didn't expect that to be his first true response to her.

The praetor crossed her arms. "…Half of the Legion is wounded in some way, all of them are exhausted; we have about a dozen deaths. About triple the collateral damage as when the Titans attacked last year, mostly in the residential district. All in all, given the circumstances, I believe this is a, uh…" she considered her words. "Acceptable outcome," she said, though when she saw the pained look on the boy's face, she then added, "Though perhaps you might feel differently."

"A dozen, dead…" he muttered.

"They were all prepared to lay their lives down," Reyna reminded him. "And they all fought valiantly. Now, my turn. I want to know what brought you to our home, working with a Giant of all creatures."

"…" Leo tried to sum up what happened in as few words as possible.

Reyna nodded once she heard the story. "I see. So, you're Tempus?" she asked the Giant, who avoided the praetor's hard stare. "I read the choice words you had for me in your little booklet. I'm not sure I appreciate them."

Tammy's form shifted to Reyna again. "You had it coming and you know it."

Reyna smirked. "Well, your wit has survived the transformation, it seems."

"You don't sound…all that surprised…or angry…"

"Well, given the imp's story, there isn't much to be angry about," she said. "But in any case, it seems…" Reyna paused, a thought crossing her mind. "…I need an Iris-Message."

"What? Why?" Leo questioned.

"Get me an Iris-Message or so help me I'll send you to Davy Jones' Locker!"

Within a few minutes, the water was ready. Reyna had Leo do it (by the time it was ready, he could splash the water at least) for fear of Iris denying a Roman her services. "Show me Jason Grace," Leo said, having heard Reyna's request.

Her thought process was thus; in a worst-case scenario, not only was New Rome attacked, but also Camp Half-Blood. According to Leo, Greed could split. So, either he attacked both camps simultaneously (this turned out to be the case), or he helped Pride attack Jason. Either way, that left Wrath; their trump card. According to Tammy, Wrath couldn't conceivably even be beaten. Reyna had no idea what Pride's plan was, but if he wanted to crush them, then Wrath would be his method of doing it.

Her fears came half-true. Jason was being pummeled into a bloody pulp, but not by Wrath, but Pride. The plan, according to Leo, was for Jason to take him on alongside both Bianca and Percy, but neither of them was there. That meant either they all lost a fight against Pride, or he'd led them away. Upon seeing the horror, Reyna wiped away the image, before immediately making more mist. "Show me Winona Solace!" she demanded. Thankfully, she didn't need to have Leo repeat that, and Winona's image appeared. She appeared to have just finished a battle herself.

"R-Reyna?" her voice was shaky, tired.

"Lass, there's trouble!"

"I know," Winona said. "I just dealt with it."

"Not with you, with Jason!" Reyna cried. "Get me a goddess or someone else who can get me there to help him!"

Winona blinked, not entirely sure what was going on. Still, after a moment, her gaze lowered into one of determination. The girl became enveloped in a golden light, before she popped out of the image. At the same time, she popped into existence in a shower of gold right next to Reyna.

"W-what?"

"I'm a goddess now," she said curtly, before grabbing onto Reyna and teleporting both of them away, and to Jason.

The battleground was absolutely destroyed. Rubble was everywhere; where once there was a new mountain was now a massive cluster of rubble and then craters where there wasn't any. Reyna looked around, hearing Jason's cries of agony.

The praetor ran toward the sound, and soon saw them. They were surprisingly close to the ground. Jason looked…worse for wear, to make the understatement of the millennium. Lacerations and bruises galore, a broken arm, and that was just what Reyna could see. There was no telling the kind of internal damage was done. She just had to hope the Greeks could spare some ambrosia and nectar after this was over.

Pride was currently straining the demigod's spine. He held either of Jason's wrists as Jason faced away from him, driving his knee into the Roman's back until he heard the pops and cracks. Seeing this, Reyna didn't hesitate, nor did she wait for backup. She dashed forward, leapt up to them, and landed a fist into the Giant's face, startling him enough to make him drop Jason.

The demigod didn't even react as he landed. Reyna rushed to his side as Pride gained his bearings, but found that he'd fallen unconscious, though at least wasn't dead. Winona was soon by Reyna's side, though looked less-than-sure of herself and their situation.

Pride smirked. "Out of all of the demigods, I didn't expect to be met by you two; the coward, and the goddess-to-be," he said.

"Not anymore," they said simultaneously, Reyna drawing her blade and Winona summoning her bow, slightly frustrated. If she'd known she was going to be facing Pride, she wouldn't have wasted so much of her godly energy on over-killing half of Greed. Still, they wouldn't be fighting him alone.

From the seas rose Poseidon, who had recovered enough to join the fight once again, though he looked about as spent as Winona, honestly. Not to mention, he was without his trident; it had been destroyed along with Percy. Along with him, Annabeth ran towards Reyna, carrying Piper's blade in her hand. It wasn't ideal or respectful to the fallen demigod, but Annabeth needed a weapon if she wanted to be useful. "I'm here," she said.

The Giant began laughing. "Well, isn't this interesting; a battle against the walking wounded?" he mocked them.

"Funny, I could say the same of you," Annabeth returned.

"Must you Greeks always quip?" Reyna muttered.

"It's just her and Percy," Winona claimed.

"I advise caution," Poseidon said. "Pride may be wounded, but he's still dangerous, and more powerful than any of us alone. From what I saw, he's no longer able to fire any kind of projectile; his wound prevents him from doing so."

"Yes," Pride held his arms out. "And once this wound starts healing, in, say, five minutes, you won't even have that advantage."

"Well, then we'll just have to beat you in four," Annabeth said. Pride frowned at that, before dashing toward them.

Reyna and Annabeth charged to meet him. Pride was significantly slower than normal, with the girls actually able to keep up with him together, though their slashes and stabs only served to annoy the Giant. They were both pushed back, though not injured. Pride rushed toward them both, intending to not give them any respite, only to have Winona blast him from behind them, laying into him with sunlight arrow after potent sunlight arrow, blasting him backwards.

Winona continued shooting her arrows, volleys at a time, as Reyna and Annabeth broke into a run toward the Giant, who was trying to catch himself. "Lass, I'll throw you!" Reyna called to her fighting partner.

"R-right!"

As they approached, Pride finally landed on his feet. He braced himself for their assault, but was ensnared by a multitude of water whips. Poseidon had snuck behind him and launched his own assault, allowing Reyna and Annabeth to launch their joint attack. Reyna cupped her hands as she ran. Annabeth did a side-hop into it and was launched into the air by the praetor, who then broke into a roll before propelling herself feet-first into the Giant's face, knocking him over in time for Annabeth to crash down into him. He let out a startled gasp, but didn't appear too injured from the attack.

He shot back up to his feet and re-engaged the girls, quickly knocking them to the ground and raising his fists to smash them into putty.

Poseidon then shot a massive torrent of water toward him, shooting him away, and letting Winona lay into him with her arrows. Seemingly sick of it, Pride caught and then launched himself toward the new goddess, forcing her to dive away to avoid being crushed, though she was then immediately kicked into Reyna. Annabeth shot toward the Giant alongside Poseidon, and the two shared a surprising amount of synergy as they managed to push Pride back, with Poseidon unleashing another rush of water, pummeling him.

No sooner did Pride manage to well up the power to push the attack away than did Reyna to leap back into action, literally. She had been launched by Winona, and landed onto top of Pride, ramming her blade into his stomach. She'd been aiming for the chest wound, but he had avoided that. Pride roared, though it sounded like it was out of annoyance more than anything, before throwing Reyna off, but then he was attacked by Annabeth, Poseidon, and Winona.

The Giant struggled to keep up with the three, even as they tired with each hit. But eventually, Pride recovered enough to fight back. He felt it like the flip of a switch.

As Poseidon and Winona approached, he let out a massive ball of flame which engulfed the gods, sending them crashing down into the ground, barely alive. As Annabeth attacked, Pride quickly disarmed her and blasted her away. Grinning like mad, and running through a million possibilities on how he could permanently wound her, Pride coated the blade in a poison; a nifty ability he got from the only recorded child of the goddess of poison, Akhlys, who was the only 'witch' that was actually around during the Salem Witch Trials.

Without much effort, Pride aimed and threw the blade toward Annabeth. It quickly found its mark, right as she was about to crash into one of the taller piles of rubble, right into the palm of her right hand, impaling it, and her, to the rubble. She cried out in pain and latched onto anything she could find so gravity didn't pull on the impaled appendage. Thankfully, she found a small foothold, but that wasn't going to help her in the future.

This poison would prevent her from ever closing that hand again, including to write, and perhaps more attuned to her lifestyle, from holding the hilt of a blade ever again. Pride grinned, knowing that, even if he somehow failed in killing them all this day, she'd never fight again. He intended to do something similar to all of them, out of spite.

Reyna stood, looking around briefly at her defeated allies, and the grip on her sword tightened. It came down to her. The fight was brief.

Reyna charged toward Pride, avoiding his projectiles, before launching a stab, which was avoided. She managed to dodge his kick toward her, and land a kick of her own into the Giant's face, though her follow-up kick was caught. She was then picked up by her foot and thrown away. Somehow, Reyna landed on her feet, and immediately charged toward Pride.

He shot his hand out to blast her with a fireball, but she managed to reach him before that happened, and knock his hand downwards, shooting it into the ground, before launching a flurry of stabs. Pride managed to avoid a strike to the chest, knocking her away again. He chuckled, wiping off a bit of blood from his cheek, before dashing toward her. He head-butted her to the ground, before immediately picking her up and kicking her away again. Reyna fought the urge to pass out from the hit as she landed. She couldn't even get up before Pride was on her. He began raining down blows. Most of them she avoided, but some she didn't, and her armor cracked and then shattered on top of her. She wouldn't have been surprised if her ribs had done the same, but adrenaline pumped so strongly that she didn't feel it if they'd been damaged.

Pride kicked her away again, and this time, Reyna was able to get to her feet, but not able to launch a counterattack. Instead, Pride struck again, launching a series of elemental attacks which Reyna had to just take, as she tried in vain to avoid major damage. It didn't work. The fire burned her arms, the wind cut her legs, the water sliced her torso. Reyna finally saw an opening. She reared her blade back and thrust it forward, praying to all of the gods that her blade struck true.

But it didn't. the attack didn't even connect.

Pride just grabbed Reyna's blade and snapped it off with a single hand, before shoving it into the praetor's gut. She let out a shocked gasp, and stared up at Pride, muttering incoherently. He was grinning, enjoying her pain. "Well," he twisted the blade, causing her to cry out in agony. "So much for Rome's greatest weapon."

He let go of the blade, causing Reyna to stumble backwards and fall to the ground, thankfully on her side, so she didn't shoot the blade out and cause even more internal damage. Pride stood over her, seeming satisfied with his work. He raised a hand to strike, before being blasted away by a bolt of lightning.

Reyna's vision must've been playing tricks on her. She saw Jason, standing up to Pride, when he had been unconscious just a few moments before. But it wasn't a hallucination; Pride saw him too, and he was angry.

"How are you still standing?!" the Giant demanded, power spiraling around him. Jason stood in front of Reyna protectively, one arm hanging limply at his side, useless.

"You just…" he coughed up some blood. "Keep underestimating us…"

Pride's eye twitched. His body shook with rage. Finally, it seemed, he'd gone over the edge. It was hard to believe he hadn't already, but this was it; he was done. "Everyone dies," he announced, before rising into the air. "I will sink this entire continent to see you perish, Jason Grace!"

"W-what?!" Jason demanded, seeing Pride glow with power.

"This…is something I never wanted to use, never be forced to use, but you've pushed me _too far_! This is all of the godly power I've stolen since my birth!" he yelled, as a massive sphere erupted around him, purple-ish in color, though darkened and malignant.

The amount of power that Pride was using wasn't insurmountable; the vast majority of demigods he stole from were weak, or killed before they could train to become strong. In reality, it was about equal to his own power at full strength, still well able to make good on his threat.

And even still, to Jason, it felt like an infinite amount of power. He stared at its build-up in half-awe and half-terror. How was he supposed to fight against something like that? Did he ever have a chance?

"J…Jason…" Reyna forced out behind him. He looked back, seeing her looking equally terrified. And seeing her eyes staring at him, pleading for some amount of comfort, Jason didn't feel that fear anymore.

He faced back toward the Giant; a lone demigod standing in the face of death, and began to build-up power. " _Do you remember our word?_ " he thought he heard Piper's voice.

Lightning arced out of the sky and onto Jason, and the ground around him glowed white from heat. "Yeah, I do, and it means everything," he answered no one, rearing his hand back. "Velaira!" he yelled, thrusting his hand forward and willed lightning to burst up from the earth itself. Using his own body as a conduit, the bolt enlarged into a massive beam of electricity, sustained indefinitely by Jason's will alone, as it collided with the ball of stolen energy.

Pride cackled from within the orb. "Hahaha! You actually intend to fight back?!" his power pulsed out, causing the ground beneath Jason's feet to start crumbling from the pressure and weight. Still, he retained his defiant attack. The air around him sparked with power, and wind blasted past him just from the energy he was expelling. Jason strained under the effort, sure that he was literally going to work himself to death. His heart pounded in his chest and blood rushed in his ears.

This was it; it was now or never, do or die. If he failed, then everyone he knew and loved was going to die. And yet, he couldn't summon enough strength to finish it.

"J-Jason!" Reyna saw him nearly fall, only to catch himself and maintain the attack, just barely. "Please, you must keep going!"

"I can't!" he cried, arm burning from the strain. "I'm not strong enough! I can't do this alone!"

Pride's manic cackles rang in his ears, overpowering whatever encouraging words Reyna was calling to him. Small flecks of debris nicked his face, his leg muscles strained to even keep himself standing. Truthfully, that he even managed to launch the attack in the first place was nothing short of a miracle.

"You must be an even bigger idiot than I thought you were if you think you're alone," a voice shot into his ears, causing him to gasp in surprise.

"P-Percy?"

"We may not stand in the same place, but we do stand together," Piper said after him. It was odd; he knew they weren't there, but he felt their presence, almost like he'd feel someone's presence in the Underworld. No doubt, this was the gods' doing. Though the voices that followed put that theory into question.

"We're with you, man," Leo said.

"No matter our differences," Annabeth added.

"Until the end," Octavian assured.

"Until the end," he heard Winona join.

"Until the end," now Bianca.

"Until the end," now Grover.

"Until the end," now Tempus.

"Until the end," finally Luke. "We stand united."

"What?!" Pride demanded, as if he was seeing something he shouldn't, and he was. He saw a multitude of figures begin to appear behind Jason. He saw Percy, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, Octavian, Winona, Bianca, Grover, and Tempus standing by his side, with Luke behind them all, tying their power together under a unified being; Jason.

Then, Jason felt two familiar presences enter. "You've handled yourself well, my son," one said.

"But this fight isn't only yours to finish," the other claimed.

"Father…!" Jason exclaimed, feeling both aspects of his being appearing simultaneously. Suddenly, Jason felt power surge through him. He didn't know where it came from, whether from his father and his Greek aspect, or from his friends, both fallen and not. Either way, Jason stood tall and proud. He saw out of the corner of his eye the two aspects of Jupiter rearing back their Master Bolts. Jason reared his own hand back in the same motion.

"Together!" he roared, and in tandem, the three released their attacks. The bolts combined into one massive lightning strike, cutting not only through Jason's earlier attack, but right through Pride's and right through Pride himself.

The Giant let out a cry of anguish as his body reacted violently to the divine power, before eventually bursting, exploding in a shower of dust and dirt, like he had been made of it from the beginning.

Jason was panting as it happened, as he saw the battle finally end.

"It's…it's over…" Jason looked around, seeing the destruction left in their wake, drinking in the losses, and even more than he'd have to contend with soon. But for now, he collapsed onto the ground and passed out.

xxxXXXxxx

Percy's senses were filled with feelings of calm. He shot awake, though felt groggy, like he'd just woken up form a large nap. Looking around, Percy was confused. Here he was resting on a tropical beach, with the sun shining, the waves churning, and the sand warm and soft beneath him. "…" Percy couldn't even say anything, especially as the memories came rushing back to him.

He had died.

Then…why wasn't he in the Underworld? Percy thought that was where all demigods go. But here he was, on a tropical beach.

"It's because you denounced the gods," a voice came from beside him. Somehow, Percy wasn't startled by his presence.

"Luke…" he muttered. Somehow, it made sense, especially if what he'd said was true; they'd both denounced the gods and/or their authority at one point, after all.

"Hey, kid," he greeted calmly, sitting beside him like he'd been there for ages.

The two faced back toward the ocean. Though he couldn't see it, Luke reared back a fist, and hit Percy upside the head. Even when dead, the hit caused him some pain. "Ow! Gods, what was that for?" the son of Poseidon demanded.

"You idiot; you were supposed to stay alive!" Luke returned, clearly upset. "Jeez, and here I thought making a noble sacrifice was the right decision."

"And here I thought you'd be less of a prick in the afterlife," Percy returned. The two exchanged a glance, and then chuckled. "So why am I here?"

"I told you; you denounced the gods. Now…we're where you want to be. Consider it a godless Elysium."

"So…heaven?"

"Your personal one," Luke confirmed.

"And…why are you here?"

"Well…I could be here, or might actually be a figment of your subconscious. I don't know, it's hard to tell with the souls of people," Luke shrugged, garnering a raised eyebrow from the Titan Slayer.

"I'm not even going to begin to say what's wrong with that explanation. I'm just going to drop it."

"And that'd be for the best," Luke said.

"So…I guess I'm going to be here forever?" Percy wondered. Luke didn't respond, just smiled warmly. "I guess it isn't so bad…"

"Well…you can stay, sure. But this is your personal heaven, Percy…if you want, you could do anything. You can ascend to a higher plane of existence, you could start a family life with Annabeth and Lucy, you could-"

"This sounds like bullshit," Percy interrupted.

"So do most of your speeches," Luke returned. "And I'm serious."

"Well…I've had enough travel for a while…let's just stay here…" Percy said. Luke nodded, and then fell to lay down on the sand. Percy stayed sitting up, staring at the waves. The sense of time in the afterlife must've been odd, because Percy didn't know how long it was until something else happened. It could've been a few minutes, or hours, or years, but eventually, something caught the Titan Slayer's eye, floating in the waves. "What is…?"

He willed the water to bring it to him, and as it drew closer, he saw what it was. "Is that…a message in a bottle?" he wondered. Luke sat up, smiling.

"Oh cool; right on time."

Percy picked up the bottle and opened it up, the paper dropping into his hands. He unrolled it and saw that it was a letter written in Greek. He recognized the handwriting; Annabeth's. As Percy read it, he could swear he heard her reading it aloud. He recognized the words themselves too; they'd been spoken to him when he needed them most. It read:

"I don't believe our destinies are set. I don't believe we're beholden to a script. I don't know what lies ahead, if tragedy awaits, or glory. I don't know if we'll perish. But I know that my voice will reach you, and I know that our destinies are intertwined. So I make my choice to walk evermore onward along the path we share. Will you walk alongside me, Percy?"

As if on cue, a bright white light appeared off-shore. Percy shot to his feet, unsure of what was happening. "Is that…?"

"It's what you want it to be," Luke said, still sitting. "A higher plane of existence, perhaps? A new life?" he chuckled. "I guess her amnesia note inspired you, huh?"

Percy was barely listening; he just stared at the beautiful light. He thought he heard voices calling him to it, the voices of people he knew. He looked at his right arm, at the letters etched in his skin, and he knew that they were the ones calling him.

"Are…are you coming with me?" Percy wondered to his friend. He shook his head.

"No, I got the best second life I could ask for already," he said.

"But…what if I see Annabeth? What am I supposed to tell her?" he asked. It was perhaps in irrational question, but he was dead and this was weird, so to him it seemed like the operative phrase.

Luke considered the question for a moment. "Tell her that I've got to go see about a girl."

Percy smiled at that, and then began to wade in the water. It was only when he was steps away from the light did he turn around. He pointed at Luke and grinned. "If I ever come back, I want to see the biggest goddamn grin on your face! You're not allowed to be guilty anymore, you hear?!"

Luke blinked, but nodded and smiled. With that, Percy turned back around, and allowed himself to be engulfed by the light.

xxxXXXxxx

Jason awoke with Reyna sitting in a chair beside his bed. She shot to her feet, and winced from the pain of the action, as soon as she saw him awake. "Jason!" she rushed to his side. "You're alive!"

"Somehow…" the demigod muttered, looking around to confirm where they were.

"We're home, lad. The battle is over."

Jason blinked. He'd been thinking for a while about what he would do once the Giants had been dealt with. He even discussed it with Percy, but now…now that it's actually here, he didn't know what to do with himself.

"Losses?" the word escaped his lips before he thought about it.

Reyna's relieved expression turned to a frown. "…"

She relayed the dead and the injured. A few stuck out to him, since they'd joined him on his quest. Leo had been heavily injured, though was alive. Piper was dead; they retrieved her body and the Greeks were performing their burial rites for her. As was Bianca, who died protecting Camp Half-Blood.

Finally was Percy, who perished while wielding Poseidon's trident.

The losses were heavy. Jason immediately felt a void open up in his chest at the thought of never seeing them again. He forced himself to his feet, even though he really shouldn't be moving, and began walking out. Reyna didn't try to stop him; she knew as well as he did that if he was going to cope, that he needed something to do.

Before he even made it out of the room, however, Jason saw a golden light shimmer into existence, before Winona popped into it. She stood in front of them, holding a small orb of light. "W…what…" Jason couldn't even think straight yet, and here she was.

"…The prophecy isn't over," she announced.

"Prophecy…?" Jason's brain was trying to work again.

 _One burned and one fallen must risk it all_

 _Two sides alone, eons of hatred enthrall_

 _Three fatal choices, only one will mend_

 _For earth's last chance, destined seven rend_

 _Five natural giants, a storm will brew_

 _Six pure forces and a light break through_

 _Seven Half-Blood must answer the call_

 _United they stand, divided they fall_

Jason recited it in his head. "How is it not over?" he questioned. "We…we beat the Giants…didn't we?"

"We did," Winona confirmed. "But the prophecy said 'three fatal choices'. That's Bianca's to come back to Camp Half-Blood, Percy's to go fight Wrath, and Piper's to sacrifice herself; three fatal choices."

"But…what does that have to do with-" Winona held out the small orb.

"There is a single way to bring people back from the dead with absolutely no repercussion or time limit; the Physician's Cure. Until now, the secret of its creation was lost even to the gods. But, when I ascended, my father's body, the previous Apollo, faded into this."

"And this is…the Cure?" Jason surmised. Winona nodded. "And…you're giving it to me. Why not just use it to bring back Bianca?"

"Because I have another plan for her. So, it's up to you. You have two options," she said. "Will it to be, and it will be so; Percy or Piper. Who are you going to bring back?"

xxxXXXxxx

It had been a few days since Jason and Reyna had returned to Camp Jupiter. In that time alone, Jason was elected to praetor, near unanimously, as a result of his successful quest to stop the Giants, despite the costs. And that was far from the only thing that'd happened. The gods had given the Romans the same treatment as they gave the Greeks after the Titan War; tell them what they wanted. While Jason was in their presence, he saw what 'other plan' Winona had for Bianca; make her a god. Specifically the god to replace her late father. She no longer had a mortal soul, so she was still technically dead, but unfortunately, with all that's happened, Jason didn't get much of a chance to speak with her, and in fact she seemed to be actively avoiding him or any other demigod that knew her.

The first thing Jason asked for was for Camp Jupiter to be given the type of divine control as Camp Half-Blood, so controlled weather and at least partially protected borders, with more protection to come from future magical artifacts. The second request was for Jason to ask for that teleporter that was mentioned. While it took some doing and some convincing on the Camp's leaders' part, everyone eventually agreed to that and it was up and running. Next came the mourning. The Greeks did their burning of the shroud for Piper, Bianca, Grover and Percy, and the Romans participated in their own burial traditions for their fallen comrades.

Possibly the thing that Jason paid attention to the least was that Annabeth got Lucy back from the gods. The daughter of Athena basically disappeared for days after that happened, not letting anybody near her child. Honestly, Jason didn't blame her, though did question what she'd even do if someone did attack, given that she couldn't effectively fight anymore, at least not against a trained demigod. In any case, he was happy that her and the baby were finally reunited.

The air was humid and warm that day. In Camp Jupiter, this kind of weather usually comes around for a few months each year. Now, it seemed it would be all year round, thanks to the gods. It was paradise, even more so than before. Well…anywhere but this part of it, in any case.

A graveyard, a personal one for Jason's sake. He had put in a gravestone for Tempus, despite having never found her body, and was content to leave well enough alone and move on with his life. Now, he'd returned; this time, to honor another friend. Jason stood in front of a second gravestone, with a small ceremony having just ended for its recipient.

Reyna held his arm comfortingly; she seemed willing to wait as long as he needed. "If it makes you feel any better…I think you made the right choice, lad," she offered.

"Mm…"

"…Jason…"

The son of Jupiter took a deep breath, and let out a sigh. "I think I need to be alone for a while," he said, in the most subdued tone he could manage. Reyna didn't seem hurt; they both understood what it meant to have lost a comrade. Or rather; a friend. The praetor shuffled off, slowly due to her still-healing wound, leaving her boyfriend to mourn.

Jason kneeled down, grazing his hand on the headstone. "I'll make certain you receive every Roman honor…I hope you would've wanted that, after everything we've been through," he vowed. "It's odd…your closest friend…his honor seems to have spread. It's infected all of Olympus, and you were part of that. Thank you, for everything."

Jason stood, took another deep breath, and closed his eyes in mourning. He heard footsteps behind him, followed by a powerful voice.

"Come on, hero. You've got a lot of work ahead of you."

Jason stood and nodded, giving one last look at the gravestone, which read "Piper McLean, hero of the heart and of the blade."

Percy stood waiting for him, eyes focused and ready. They were about to begin joint training exercises with both camps. Jason nodded again.

The attempt at normalcy might have been viewed by some as inconsiderate, given that they spent very little time actively mourning for those lost. But in the end, they wouldn't have wanted those still-living to just sit around and grieve. They had work to do, a _lot_ of work to do.

Luckily Jason wouldn't have to do it all alone.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So I'm going to reserve my thoughts for how the series turned out until I do a self-analysis over on YouTube, because I don't want to be here typing for hours and pumping the word count of the story up unfairly.**

 **With that said, this is the end, well close; I have an epilogue that will go up tomorrow, which will not have an Author's Note, and that will be the end period.**

 **One thing before I go into regular finale stuff, mainly to do with a question that I've been asked.**

 **I am done. I am 100% done with the Riordan-verse. Period. Well...I shouldn't say that. For the indefinite future, I am done, how about that? I have plenty of ideas of how I _could_ continue it, as you'll see tomorrow where the last part is just a synopsis of what I would do to continue it, but I am not planning on actually writing it. If you want to, go nuts; I don't really care.**

 **It's been a helluva ride, and I've had some great people reading it and telling me what they think. It's been a lot of fun too, and I've learned a lot that I can now use in my own works, which hopefully I'll have something out by the end of 2019...hopefully. In any case, consider this my thank you and goodbye. If you ever want to ask me something, feel free to PM me, even long after this is done; I'm always notified of PMs and reviews on my phone, which I have on me constantly.**

 **But again, thank you so much for reading; this would not have been nearly as fun or rewarding without your support and opinions.**

 **But with regular finale stuff, I forgot and ending theme for the final book (though this had basically nothing to do with the final book because it sucks and I didn't even read it lol), but the ending I chose is "Winding Road" by MAN WITH A MISSION. I really like their work, personally. Another one of my favorites is "Raise Your Flag", though is suffers a bit from Engrish. English cover of "Winding Road" by Dima Lancaster.**

 **The opening, however, is a better song; "Strike Back" by BACK ON. I want to emphasize that you must listen to the version by Caleb Hyles. It's legitimately one of the most hype things ever, just because of the mix and the drops and fucking oh my god it's amazing, especially the lead into the second chorus just fucking god it's orgasmic. Just listen to it please.**

 **Not that many of you care, which is fine; those were mostly for me.**

 **In any case, unlike in The Cruel Spider, we have a whole new Great Prophecy, which means I get to break it down, though it's actually one of the simpler prophecies that I've come up with.**

 _ **One burned and one fallen must risk it all**_

 **This could refer to the two sides of the conflict between Greeks and Romans, or it could refer specifically to Jason and Percy, as they're forced to risk everything they believe in, both against each other and, when that doesn't work, alongside each other, to see if they could be compatible.**

 _ **Two sides alone, eons of hatred enthrall**_

 **This refers to the two sides of the conflict, where Greeks and Romans have been fighting each other since the Romans took over, thousands of years ago.**

 _ **Three fatal choices, only one shall mend**_

 **This was explained in the final part; Bianca's choice to fight Greed, Piper's to distract Pride, and Percy's to fight Wrath, only the last of which was reversed when Jason used the Physician's Cure (aka a bullshit plot device lol)**

 _ **For Earth's last chance, destined seven rend**_

 **This could refer to the destined seven demigods who "rend" Gaia's opportunity to be awoken, or it could refer to the seven Giants, who aim to control her and basically render her a mindless slave.**

 _ **Five natural Giants, a storm will brew**_

 **Pride created two artifical Giants, so there's five natural ones. The storm refers to that epic scene in chapter 70 when Jason, Percy, and Bianca wipe out Pride's army, as they're the lightning, the rain, and the darkness of a storm against the Giants.**

 _ **Six pure forces and a light break through**_

 **This was in chapter 64, when Reyna lists of the different pure powers that the seven wield, firepower, water power, brain power, power of light, solar power, the power ofthe dead, and light(ning)**

 _ **Seven Half-Bloods will answer the call**_

 **Self-explanatory.**

 _ **United they stand, divided they fall**_

 **This one is a bit tricky, and whether or not you think I'm pretentious and stupid depends on what you believe, which is fine, again. Because they did fight divided at the end, but they were all fighting together in spirit, under a unified purpose**

 **And that's the prophecy...so yeah.**

 **I don't really have much else to say, unfortunately, since most of my thoughts are going in the self-analysis. So all I'll say is, again, thank you so much. I literally can't say it enough. But with that...I guess I'll see you all when I see you.**

 **Until the end -A**


	76. Epilogue

The quiet breeze was surprisingly refreshing to Jason. He sat in one of New Rome's newer parks, just listening to the scenery. He took a deep breath, and almost began to slip into meditation. Before he could, however, someone sat beside him. It was Percy. "Phew, sorry it took so long," he said, having left to use the restroom.

"No problem," Jason returned. The two were quiet.

"So…what were we talking about?" he wondered.

"We were discussing the logistics of how many Dividers we can fit in each camp this year," Jason said. Dividers were those from one camp who wished to be a part of the opposite aspect of society. It wasn't a great name, but it was what stuck at the time when things were more hectic.

"Boring!" Percy claimed. "Come on, Jay, you've got to loosen up a little, at least today."

"I know…I am," Jason said blankly, before yawning. He'd just pulled several all-nighters, working with Octavian, who had been promoted to praetor about five years prior, when Reyna stepped down for personal reasons. "This is me at my loosest."

"Then you've got to work on that," Percy said. "Because this is definitely-"

"Tammy, please," footsteps approached from behind, and the real Percy walked up to them, holding two sodas. Tammy smirked and blurred back into her natural form. She'd revealed her true identity a few years after the Giant War, much to Jason's shock and relief, especially when he heard of Leo's part in her re-acclamation to society. Basically, he asked the gods to change the majority of Roman's memories in the final battle, to where they thought that she was Bellona, taking the form of Tempus Brookes in order to inspire them, so that she could effectively start over at Camp Half-Blood, at least until she was ready to return and face Jason. In the end, she did, and seemed normal to the son of Jupiter, thanks in no small part of Chiron's counselling on the matter, which both he and Leo had insisted upon.

The girl grinned and then stood and ran toward the pair of kids that were playing a bit away. Percy handed Jason the soda, which he accepted gratefully for the caffeine, before sitting down himself. "So, something dawned on me while I was pissing."

"Of course; this is how all great stories begin," Jason said, having unfortunately gained Percy's sharp tongue from continued exposure to him. By now, both have learned to tune out the other's quips.

"It's been ten years since we beat the Giants," he said.

"Yep…"

"…So this might be weird to say, but…I'm happy with how things turned out. Is that weird?"

"Depends on why," Jason said.

"Well…" the son of Poseidon sipped his drink as he thought about it. "We probably lost more friends during the fight with the Giants than we did with the Titans. Even still, somehow, I don't mind that much," Percy said, to which Jason raised an eyebrow. "Okay, yeah, that sounds bad, but you know what I mean, right?"

"It's because you actually had a plan this time," the son of Jupiter stated. "Instead of wallowing away in grief, you kept yourself busy until the pain became dull. Besides, Winona and Bianca made it out okay. The latter assured us that Luke and Piper's souls were doing alright; Grover's plant became a wonderful garden back in Camp Half-Blood."

"…"

"Not to mention, we may have lost a lot, but we gained a lot too; we both got a second home. Greeks got further education without having to deal with monsters, with our university here. The camps have never been stronger-"

"I got a decent sparring partner," Percy mentioned.

"Well, I'm glad I meet your expectations. I don't know if I ever told you, but I actually got to meet my sister."

"Really?"

"Yeah; a gift from Bianca."

"Well…how was it?"

"She said to tell you to shove it," Jason said.

"Yeah, sounds like Thalia…I'm glad you finally got to meet her again, though."

"Yeah…so, like I said, it's not all bad."

"Maybe…you know what? It's also been ten years since we met each other."

Jason sighed. "Yeah, it's…hard to believe…" he said quietly.

"And now, look at us," Percy added.

"Slaves to our wives," Jason said, referring to Reyna and Annabeth.

"Exactly," the Titan Slayer took a sip of soda. "Speaking of, how are the newbies doing?"

Reyna, five years after the Giant War, stepped down from praetorship for personal reasons. Those reasons were a. that she got married to Jason and wanted an extended honeymoon, and b. that she had a child. A boy, aged five by now, who was one of the two kids now playing with Tammy. His name was Tanner, after her.

In any case, she then had to recover from childbirth, which unlike Annabeth's version, actually required recovery. You know, like a normal childbirth. Once she did, she decided not to waste away her life, which is bad phrasing, but it was hers. So, in addition to helping Jason raise their kid, she was personally training select groups of demigods who excelled in sword combat. Of course, they always underestimated the training regimen. Hell, Jason probably wouldn't be able to keep up. Percy, maybe, but Jason would probably bet against him keeping up anyway.

"They're about average."

"So, half of them quit in the first two days?" Percy asked.

"Bingo," Jason confirmed, sipping his drink. "And what about Annabeth?"

"Oh, you know…it's one of those years…"

"Oh," was all Jason said on it.

Tempus had been told about other demigods besides Greek and Roman. Percy took an adventure only three years after the Giant War to find the Egyptian demigods that she'd learned about. There, he'd met and befriended two who happened to be siblings, and helped them as their pantheon was out of balance in a similar vein to when the Titans attacked. That took three years, off and on when the siblings needed some help or muscle. Then, right when he gets back, they find out where the Celtic demigods have been hiding; back in their homeland. Unlike the other pantheons, they never moved with the Heart of the West.

Thankfully, they were accommodating, and haven't yet had a crisis that needed help. Though, they were hesitant to Annabeth's insistence on a friendship and working partnership (two different things in her eyes). Thus, she made a deal with them. She would expose herself to their culture for a year at a time (calling nightly back home though), and share it with the Greeks and Romans, and in exchange, she would share the Greeks and Roman culture while she was there, thus the 'it's one of those years', as in she's over with the Celts.

They haven't yet found any Norse demigods.

"Yep," Percy scratched the back of his head. "Which leaves me to look after the headache."

Jason chuckled. "Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know."

"Very funny, Grace," Percy said. "Wow," he looked towards the children. "Your kid's getting good," he mentioned. Jason zeroed in on Tanner, only to not see him, until he looked up. He shot to his feet, spilling his drink, as his paternal instincts kicked in.

"Hey, T, not so high!" he called, flying up to meet the boy, in case he fell. Percy watched as the two landed, and Jason scolded both Tanner and Tammy for insisting he go that high, before returning to Percy, with a stern look on his face. The Titan Slayer chuckled.

"Gods, but you're so protective."

"He could've fallen!" Jason snapped as he sat, before sighing. "Whatever; he can do what he wants when he gets older."

"Weren't you his age when you got to camp?"

"Yeah…and look how I turned out," Jason intentionally set Percy up to insult him.

"Ditto," he said. "So…has he seen you fight yet?"

"What? No! Gods, no! Do you let Lucy watch you fight?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"B-because it's a bad influence!" Jason claimed. Percy rolled his eyes at that. The two had arranged to fight each other every other week very soon after the Giants, both to stave off boredom (as they'd both grown too powerful for the others) and to continually improve, so that if something like the Giants came up ever again, that they'd be ready.

"Fighting is going to be a regular part of their lives, Jay. They should both have someone to look up to, to one day surpass."

Jason bit his lip, considering the words. Finally, he shook his head. "No…no, not yet."

"You can't hide it forever," Percy mused. Jason didn't respond, just kept a stiff lip and drank the rest of his drink. Percy did the same, before standing. "Hey, Luce!" he called, with his daughter turning to face him. She got her mother's eyes, but her father's jet black hair, which she kept either hanging down when relaxing or tied into a loose ponytail when fighting. She was already a natural fighter, like insanely so, like that she was as good as Percy was when he went to the Sea of Monsters when she was only eight, kind of good. "Throw me a ball!"

"But I-"

"I'm not asking twice!"

Lucy blinked, though quickly figured out what he wanted. She formed a ball of water in her hand and shot it toward her father, who caught it.

"What are you-" Jason was about to question, when Percy whirled around and threw it directly in his face, soaking him. The kids burst into laughter, and Percy put a hand on his hip and chuckled, knowing that Jason wouldn't just let this go.

"I hope you understand, Jackson," Jason stood and wind whipped up around him. "This means war!"

The two engaged each other in some good old fashioned overpowered-demigod wrestling, crashing through the air and into the ground, throwing harmless but impactful spheres of water and wind. Percy knew he couldn't get Jason into an actual fight right there, but this was a close second. He just didn't want Jason's kid to grow up thinking his dad was some boring sod, given how much Percy respected him. Already, Tanner was beginning to go to Lucy and Percy for cool things, and not his father, and Percy didn't want that. He needed to show that Jason was just as cool as he was.

Of course, this was when things went wrong, which isn't something Percy had to realize in hindsight for a _long_ time. Ten years, in fact. Yes, this was when the camp was attacked by a big bad.

Jason met them first, having been hit away by Percy, only to have them just appear. He felt their presence before he even turned around to see them, but didn't have time to do anything before he was blasted away, unprepared. Percy tensed, having to suddenly shift his brain into attack mode.

Immediately, Percy summoned two blades. "Get behind me!" he ordered, voice harsher than he intended, but he _needed_ to keep them safe. The intruders launched a blast of golden energy toward him, which he met head-on and took without much effort. Thankfully, Tammy had gotten them all behind him in time.

Percy stood ready for their next attack, but when it didn't come, he immediately grabbed Lucy's hand, as Tammy picked up Tanner, and they ran. This would've been the hardest thing to do for Percy ten years prior. His brain had been hardwired to fight every fight. But now, he knew he didn't have to worry too much. Whatever collateral damage occurred could be repaired, and he wasn't the only one able to go toe-to-toe with the toughest of their world. What mattered most was protecting those who couldn't, and that was Percy's job.

Thankfully, though Percy had to turn around and block more delayed attacks, this was all he had to do for the moment, as this was when Reyna appeared, having heard the commotion. Along with her was Octavian, in full armor, leading the Legion, or a portion of it, to the battle. No words had to be spoken between them; they'd drilled this (yes, drilled, because they damn well weren't going to be unprepared for an invasion a third time) enough times to know the process of events.

From here, it was up to the Legion to defend their home, as it would be up to the Greek fighting force that they'd formed known as the New Hoplites, should they have been the majority force in the area.

Percy rushed everyone who was in the area towards the edge of the city, only to find an army of monsters waiting for them. Percy summoned a torrent of water to aid him, knowing that he'd have to fight again, which he was fine with, especially considering Tammy was there to help him.

Of course, this meant that the kids were unsupervised. And what do kids do when unsupervised? They do things that they're not supposed to do. "Come on," Lucy tugged on Tanner's arm.

"Where…are we going?" the boy wondered, shaking from fear.

"We're going back to the big fight," Lucy said.

"B-but your dad-"

"Doesn't need to know," Lucy grinned, before forcibly dragging the younger boy along with her.

Back at the 'big fight,' Octavian stepped forward, ahead of Reyna; he'd really grown into his own this past decade. "Tell us who you are, and then get out of our city lest you face a swift and untimely death," he ordered, voice commanding and steady, unlike his younger self.

The two figures shimmered into focus, appearing sinister-looking silver armor. "We are the God-Emperors," one of them said. "I am Caligula."

"And I am Commodus."

"And we are here to wipe out the demigod plague."

"Oh wow, because nobody has tried _that_ before," Reyna said. The God-Emperors frowned and glared at her, before launching two simultaneous golden blasts toward her. She avoided them handily, and the Legion raised their shields to negate the attacks entirely. Reyna scoffed, before deferring to Octavian; he was in charge now.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?" the son of Minerva questioned.

"That they're not much to worry about?" Reyna asked.

Octavian nodded. "Legion, form a barrier; no one leaves this sector."

The God-Emperors began laughing at that, though they didn't try to leave. "That won't save your people from our army that marches at your door as we speak."

"No, but the Titan Slayer should have things handled," Octavian said.

"The-" Caligula couldn't finish as Reyna shot her blade toward him, sticking him in the chest. The sword was actually a short story by itself. It is Piper's old sword, retrieved. Both Jason and Leo insisted she take it, but it wasn't until three years after the conflict did Reyna accept, and only because she convinced Bianca to allow Piper to speak to her in order to give her blessing. Her pen and gun and scarf were likewise given/returned to Tammy, as per her request.

So, Reyna began using it, attaching a magical chain given to her by her mother to its end for more versatility, which she used to great effect here, yanking it back to her and then launching a brutal assault on the two.

They seemed to be unprepared for her skill, as they were quickly put on the defensive, though they eventually warded her off. After that, they charged toward her in full-force. She held out for a while, but soon, they overwhelmed her, knocking her into the ground.

Reyna managed to roll away, and then wiped some blood from her lip. They were just a bit stronger than she was expecting, though neither of them were nearly as strong as the Giants were. If a number had to be put to it, they were about fifteens while the Giants were twenty-fives at minimum. That said, Jason (and possibly Percy though he hadn't displayed his full power in a long time) was as strong as Pride was when they fought a decade ago, at least. So in the end, Reyna wasn't all that worried.

It was around this time that Lucy and Tanner arrived, nestled between a few of the Legion's legs to see the action. Lucy was grinning, while Tanner was still frightened. "Just watch," Lucy said, knowing how strong Jason was. "You're gonna see something amazing."

In fact, given Jason's praetorship, she figured she should allow him to take the win. "I heard you were supposed to be Rome's greatest weapon? Have you grown dull in these peaceful years? Or was Rome's blade never all that sharp?" Caligula mocked.

Reyna chuckled. "Trust me, I could beat you if I really wanted to. But the fact is, I'm not in the position to do that anymore; I gave up this particular voyage a while ago."

"W…what are you talking about?" Commodus questioned.

"When Rome's sword fails, that's when we raise the shield," she said.

As if on cue, a burst of wind washed over the battlefield, catching the attention of everyone. Reyna stepped back to the crowd as Jason stepped forward. "O-ho, you?" Caligula questioned.

Jason walked calmly toward them. In just one second, lightning built up on the ground around him, drawn from the earth, before rising and surging through Jason's body. This was a fast and energy-efficient way to gain power, and was Jason's go-to after he discovered it. "I know your kind," he said harshly toward the God-Emperors. "You think you can just waltz into our lives and threaten our homes and our families."

Caligula growled. "I could stab you right in the back if I wanted to! You think you can stand against us?!"

"I think you should leave," Jason said willing a pierce wind to rise behind them and slam them into the ground. "Or else I'm going to have to take drastic measures. This is your only warning; leave now or die."

"You…you insolent…"

" _Haven't I heard that before?"_ Jason thought lazily, seeing that they weren't going to stop. He stepped forward again and made an afterimage of himself which took the blasts that they let off. He knew they couldn't keep up with him, and waited for them to realize that he'd gone behind them.

"Wha-!" Commodus let out a shocked gasp before Jason blasted him away with a burst of lightning. He put a hand on Caligula's shoulder.

"Don't think that you're the first race of immortals that have underestimated us demigods," Jason said. Caligula swatted Jason's hand away and threw a fist at the man's face, which was avoided handily, before blasting the God-Emperor into his friend. "So I guess you guys are Roman Emperors who have somehow obtained immortality?"

"W-what? How did you-"

"You don't want to finish that question," Jason said, thinking how stupid and unoriginal the title "God-Emperor" was. "Look, the time where you are relevant is over, long gone. Fade away in peace, and you won't suffer."

"Fade away? We will _conquer-_ " they were interrupted as Jason shoved them up into the air with his wind before blasting them back down again.

"Get a grip!" he snapped.

Caligula growled as he stood. "You…you are nothing! We are rulers, conquers! We embody everything about Rome!"

"Not anymore," Jason said. "That's not how we do things now."

"Then you have strayed quite far. The Roman ideal; the weak die and the strong survive!"

"Fine then, we'll play by those rules," Jason slipped off his wedding ring, with it having been made specially for him. Knowing Reyna, Jason probably should've expected that she would have it made with a combat purpose in mind. It was made out of Imperial Gold, for one, and for two, it was made specifically as a conduit for his lightning.

Jason flexed one hand, which bound the two God-Emperors together and held them in place with wind. The Legionnaires behind them angled their shields appropriately, knowing what was coming. With his opponents secure, Jason was able to take his time in gathering power, charging it as an uber-condensed ball of lightning in his palm, as his ring was carried on the wind directly in front of it.

Then, with an intense calm directing him, Jason centered the ring, and then released his blast. The lightning entered the ring and exited as a beam akin to his old Velaira blast that he used to beat Pride, only much more focused and deadly.

It shot right into and engulfed the two God-Emperors, vaporizing them, and then collided with the Legion's shields. Due to the angle, the blast bounced harmlessly into the sky as a reverse-bolt of lightning.

Jason let out a heavy breath, releasing his lightning back into the ground. "Lucy!" he heard almost immediately, as Percy dashed into the circle of Legionnaires. "I _know_ you came back here!"

"Y-yeah, I did," the girl admitted, showing herself. Jason laughed as he chided her, and then punished her by saying she would have to clean Poseidon's cabin by herself for the next three cleanup-checks (a task which Percy normally helped her with), before the Titan Slayer sighed.

"You know what?" Percy began.

"What?"

"This is why New Rome needs a good doughnut joint."

"Oh, gods, this again?" Reyna questioned as Octavian and the Legion returned to their business, as if nothing had happened.

"I'm serious!" Percy said.

"Right, because this attack could've been avoided by a doughnut place," Jason smirked.

"Hey, maybe we could've pacified them with delicious pastries, but no, because New Rome has an Italian joint, another Italian joint, and, hey, look at that: another Italian joint!"

The three continued on for a while as Lucy met up with Tanner. "Uh…sorry about dragging you back here," she said awkwardly; a requirement from her dad. To apologize, not to do it awkwardly.

Tanner wasn't paying attention. "My dad is _so cool_!"

xxxXXXxxx

Nearly sixty years later…

"Wait, that's it?" Ode questioned of her father, Caste.

"Well, no, but that's the end of that particular tale," he said, canoeing on the Long Island Sound with his daughter. They were sharing stories about the adventures their ancestors had. The line went like this; Poseidon/Athena, Percy/Annabeth, Lucy, Caste's mother Sally (or Sal for short), Caste, and then finally Ode.

"Well, tell me more!" Ode beamed at her father, her childlike curiosity (as she was ten at this point) charming him. He didn't bother to sugarcoat the more brutal aspects of the stories, as she's already come face-to-face with monsters herself; she knew what they were about and wasn't bothered by them, unlike Caste in his early years.

"Well, what do you want to hear next?" Caste wondered.

"Tell me the story of the next generation. I wanna hear about great-grandma Lucy!"

"Oh, well hers is a tale of heroism as honor," Caste said. "But she wasn't the only person there. There was also Tanner, son of Jason, and Nick, son of the goddesses of the Underworld and of the sun, Hades and Apollo, who chose to live a mortal life after he grew bored of the immortal one. They were a tight-knit trio, though Lucy was often training with her father, and thus was left out of the boys' misadventures, sometimes to her chagrin, and sometimes to theirs when she discovered that she'd been left out and subsequently took revenge. In any case, it was her generation that dealt with the Norsemen and the Ragnarok-Prevention War, or the Demigod's Cold War, as it's sometimes called. It all began when a mysterious boy came, Magnus, who claimed to be a Norseman. He shared with the Greeks their ways, and even entered into a romance with your great-grandma Lucy, where they bore my mother."

"Grandma Sal!" Ode said.

"Correct! In any case, to make a long-story-short, the Norsemen didn't have kind intentions; they wished to wipe out all of us, and given that their gods didn't have the limitations of ours and thus were vastly more powerful, it seemed for a while that they could. Magnus was sent as a spy, it turned out, but eventually sided with us. Percy Jackson gave his life in the defense of Camp Half-Blood, and then in retaliation for his murder, Lucy challenged the Norsemen's two strongest gods, Thor and his destined rival Jormungandr, or the World Serpent. In the face of the threat of the Greco-Roman gods and demigods, the Norse world was forced to unite, hence why they fought Lucy together. In the end, all three of the combatants perished that day, and from there, in his final act as praetor, Jason Grace threatened the Norsemen into an uneasy truce."

"What'd he say? And I thought you said it was great-grandma's generation that-"

"I was getting to that, Ode," Caste chided his daughter's impatience. "He walked up to their eldest god, Odin, and said 'You saw how strong they were. I'm here to tell you that I'm stronger, and my son is stronger than me. So if you want to keep fighting, then fine. But if you do, know this; in the end, even if we perish, you will perish along with us. I swear it on my life,' before he walked out."

"Was it true?"

"Oh no, he was bluffing. Lucy was the strongest they had, though Tanner and Nick were very close. Jason himself had long since moved past his prime, as had Percy. In any case, after that, Tanner took over. He was the main catalyst for the peace we have now; he participated in an innumerable amount of debates and peace talks to secure a future alongside the Norsemen instead of in opposition to. Meanwhile, Nick was integral to finally swaying the Celts fully to their side, aided in large part to Annabeth, who was growing quite old by that point. She died shortly after she heard the news of her husband and daughter's death, leaving behind a son-in-law and a granddaughter."

"Oh…is _that_ it?"

"That's all we have time for, for now," Caste confirmed as they docked.

"Okay, but…promise me that we'll do this again soon?"

"Of course, like always," Caste said as they exited the docks and returned to their daily lives.

And somewhere, on another shore, Percy, Luke, and Annabeth were sitting and relaxing in their afterlife.

Thus, it now ends.


End file.
